


Red Pearls

by mandaree1



Series: They're Deathberries, Helen [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Abusive Mentor-Apprentice Relationships, Apprentice Pregnancy, Blackmail, Brightfur deserves Nice Things, Brightfur never gets Nice Things, Canon-Typical Violence, Drugging via herbs, Finding new ones, Kittypets, Losing faith, Losing siblings, Losing your passions, Murder, Or at the very least unhealthy, Serial Killer Medicine Cats, These are connected, Threats, attempted drowning, big families, loners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-05-14 05:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 37,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14763279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandaree1/pseuds/mandaree1
Summary: Brightfur just wanted to be a medicine cat. Her mentor, Ravenwind, has very different ideas on what that means- for her and for ShadowClan. With Ravenwind controlling her every move and more than willing to kill to keep it that way, Brightfur will need more than just luck to live to tell the tale.





	1. Prologue

**Allegiances!**

**ShadowClan:**

_Leader : Alderstar- long-furred dark tabby tom_

_Deputy : Duskspring- gray tom_

_Medicine Cat : Ravenwind- small black she-cat_

_Warriors :_

_Honeyflower- long-furred yellow tabby she-cat_

_Stonebreeze- gray and white spotted tom_

_**Apprentice: Smokepaw** _

_Newtfrost- calico tom_

_Slatestep- short-haired gray she-cat_

_Badgerthroat- black she-cat with white belly, throat, and face_

_**Apprentice: Briarpaw** _

_Mossyear- gray striped she-cat_

_Leafleg- dark brown tom_

_Addershine- creamy yellow tom_

_Apprentices :_

_Smokepaw- lithe black she-cat._

_Briarpaw- tortoiseshell tom_

_Queens : _

_Puddle- blue she-cat with no eyes. Former rogue, currently an elder. Mother to Barkkit (black and white spotted tom) and Rainkit (blue she-cat)_

_Fallingfeather- long-furred black she-cat. Mother to Graykit (gray tom), Hawkkit (black and gray tom), and Flowerkit (black-striped she-cat)_

_Elders : _

_Flowerstrike- black tom with white spots (vitiligo)_

_Skyberry- silver and white tabby she-cat_

**_WindClan:_ **

_Leader: Longstar- black tabby she-cat_

_Deputy : Sunbird- muscular ginger tom_

_Medicine Cat : Bristlepelt- fluffy gray tom with squished face._

**_ThunderClan:_ **

_Leader : Dovestar- silver she-cat_

_Deputy: Goosestrike- fluffy silver tom_

_Medicine Cat : Brownshade- brown tom_

_**Apprentice: Creampaw** \- milky yellow she-cat_

**_RiverClan:_ **

_Leader : Burnstar- dark redish-brown tom_

_Deputy : Huskfrost- brown and white tabby she-cat_

_Medicine Cat : Houndface- long-furred brown she-cat with gray muzzle_

_**Apprentice: Hollowtail** \- brown tom with thick, darker rings across his pelt._

* * *

Alderstar bowed his large head over the body of his son, Birchpaw. The rest of ShadowClan milled about around him, licking their wounds. He could feel them snatching looks, waiting for him to say something, but it felt like the air had left his lungs.

Ravenwind dipped her head as she approached, sitting down. The medicine cat was almost ridiculously tiny in comparison to him- but, then, she looked that way with most warriors. "StarClan will take care of him, Alderstar," she murmured near his ear. "But only you can take vengeance."

He turned away. "Can't this wait until after the vigil?"

"Of course," she meowed, standing up. "Just don't forget who took your son from you, Alderstar. WindClan must pay."

Alderstar didn't reply. He appreciated Ravenwind as much as anyone else in ShadowClan- the medicine cat had served them dutifully for some time now- but even he had to admit she could very easily develop tunnel vision. Last season her ire had been directed to RiverClan, and now it was against WindClan. Birchpaw's death would only serve to stir her passions more.  _We'll deal with that later. For now, I just want to grieve._

"Mind if I join you?" Duskspring asked, coming up on his left side.

"That depends," Alderstar meowed, eyes narrowed. "Are you here to try and get me to send out a patrol?"

"No, sir."

"Then sit."

The gray tom politely lowered his ears and approached, wrapping his tail around the dark tabby's side. "I do wish to speak to you, though. May I?"

Alderstar let out a long sigh. "Go ahead."

Duskspring tilted his head to the side, gesturing to a conspicuously empty space by Stonebreeze. "I think Smokepaw could use some reassurances of her own, when you're up for it," the deputy explained. "She and Birchpaw were padding after each other for some time now."

"Later," Alderstar decided. "After the vigil is over."

He nodded and said nothing more. The two toms leaned supportively against each other.

* * *

Ravenwind was waiting for Alderstar the next morning, a vole at her paws. She gestured to it with her tail. "For you," she said graciously. "As an apology for yesterday."

"Thanks, but I need to do something," he grunted, still a little hurt by her callousness. "Have you seen Smokepaw?"

She stared at him a moment, flabbergasted by his refusal, then shrugged. "I saw her leave earlier. I don't think she's been back since."

"Was Stonebreeze with her?"

"No. She went by herself." Ravenwind's amber eyes seemed to go through his fur and into his very soul as she studied him. Alderstar suppressed a shiver. "Be careful, Alderstar. I'd hate for you to be hurt too."

He flicked his tail dismissively. "I won't go far. Thanks again for the fresh-kill, but I'm really not hungry." Alderstar called the rest over his shoulder as he jogged away. "Just put it back on the pile!"

The familiar pine-scent of ShadowClan filled Alderstar's nostrils as he slipped through the trees. It gave him some form of comfort. He hadn't slept well last night- he didn't think he would for some time- which made it hard to put one paw in front of the other, but he had given Duskspring his word, and he would keep it. Alderstar could practically taste Smokepaw's grief on the wind as he followed her trail across the boggy terrain.

Alderstar's heart twisted as he found the lithe black-striped molly at the rock pile that covered Birchpaw's grave site. The apprentice had awkwardly long legs, with ears that were almost twice the size of her head. One of said large ears twitched as he padded closer.

"Sorry, Alderstar," she meowed, stepping away. "I just wanted to pay my respects. I didn't get the chance yesterday."

The large tom sat down. "It does my heart good to see him be visited." Alderstar lightly elbowed her side. "It hurts right now, for all of us, but he'll always be in our hearts."

"That's not the problem, Alderstar."

"May I ask what is?"

Smokepaw sighed. "I'm having his kits."

"Oh. Oh, dear."

She glared at him. "That doesn't make me feel any better, you know."

Alderstar winced. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just a little surprised." He'd known, of course, that his son had had an interest in Smokepaw, and that it had been mutual, but he hadn't thought they had actually crossed the boundary into mates. "Of all the things I expected today, finding out I'm going to be a grandpa wasn't among them." Sensing her discomfort, he gave her a quick lick behind the ear. "But I'm glad! I'm really, really glad. If you want to keep them, I'll be with you every pawstep of the way."

"And if I don't?" Smokepaw asked.

"I'll still be your side," he replied. "I'm your leader. It's kind of my job to be."

The apprentice smiled at him. "Thanks, Alderstar. That means a lot."

Alderstar nudged her. "Now, come on," he urged. "Let's leave this sad day behind us. With a little luck, maybe your litter will never have to face hard times like these."


	2. Man that's a lot of kids

Something warm on Brightkit's fur made her twitch, trying to roll away from it, but there was only so far to go with a belly on one front and siblings on both sides. She batted her tiny paws at the weird sensation and hit a muzzle.

"Graykit," someone was scolding. "Don't hover like that. It puts pressure on the kits."

Graykit didn't answer. Brightkit strained her ears, but didn't hear him moving away, either. Deciding it was best to check, she rolled onto her back and cracked open her eyes for the very first time. The sunlight streaming from the holes in the thorn walls of the nursery made them hurt, but before she could think to close them again a gray blob was inches from her nose.

"Graykit!" the voice repeated. This time, Graykit did back away, revealing a big, long-furred black queen. She was frowning down at him. "You could've spooked Brightkit!" Her ear flicked as she looked at her. "Oh! You opened your eyes!"

Brightkit scrunched up her nose, eyes half-lidded. "You're loud."

The molly drew back with a look of mortification. "Sorry, dear. I forget how sensitive little ears can be. I'm Fallingfeather."

"Fallingfeather," she repeated, feeling the name cross her tongue. She'd heard her own mother say it before at some point. Brightkit twisted around to look up at Smokepaw, who was fast asleep, then her siblings. Berrykit and Darkkit both were all black, just like their mother. She glanced down at herself, all sandy yellow with light stripes, and decided that Flamekit was a lot like her. The odd kit out was Brackenkit, who was a dark tabby tom.

Berrykit shifted and lifted her tiny head. Her eyes were a dazzling green. "Blech. It's all ouchie."

"And loud," Brightkit agreed.

Flamekit stretched with a yawn, showing off tiny needle teeth. He'd yet to open his. "No thanks. I don't like ouchies."

Graykit reached out a hesitant paw and poked Flamekit in the side, sending the kit scurrying over Darkkit, who only grunted. The black tom was easily the smallest of the litter. Brightkit thought he looked odd- his head was too big and his paws too small. Flamekit glared at Graykit. His eyes were green too.

Brackenkit shook Flamekit off his tail with a grumpy hiss. "Ow!"

"Sorry, sorry. Graykit poked me."

A new voice suddenly exploded out from around Fallingfeather's belly, making them all flinch. "They're up! Finally!" A black and gray kit pushed past Graykit to get a good look at them. "Hi! I'm Hawkkit!"

"You're  _loud_ ," Brackenkit huffed.

"Everyone's loud," Brightkit told him, covering her ears with her paws.

Another black kitten appeared on Fallingfeather's stomach. Just like Hawkkit, she blended in with the queen's fur. "Mama, since their eyes are open, can they come to Rainkit and Barkkit's ceremony?"

"They can watch from the nursery," she replied. "They're still too young to go out in the camp. Hawkkit, Graykit, get back over here. It's rude to leave Flowerkit by herself like this."

"I don't mind," Flowerkit meowed.

Smokepaw's back paw twitched, signaling she had awoken. The apprentice sluggishly curled her paws under her as she sat up. Her fur was sticking up at odd angles. "What's all the racket about?" she yawned. She looked at her kits and was startled to see four sets of eyes looking back up at her. "I take  _one_  nap and miss something huge?"

Fallingfeather laughed. "Being a mother is like that."

Brightkit's mother grew somber all of of a sudden. She reached out a paw and gently shook Darkkit. "Come on, kiddo. Show me those pretty eyes." Darkkit squeaked, shifted, then slowly opened his eyes. Smokepaw's breath caught at the deep amber color of them. "Oh, you've got Birchpaw's eyes."

Darkkit's nose scrunched. He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his nose in his mother's belly. Smokepaw looked at Fallingfeather helplessly, but the older queen was busy cleaning Hawkkit and didn't notice. Berrykit draped a paw across Brightkit's back and stuck her tiny nose in the pale ginger molly's scruff.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet me at the Clanrock for a Clan meeting!"

Flowerkit let out a tiny trill. "It's time!"

Smokepaw had Fallingfeather and her litter leave the nursery first, then corralled her kits at the very edge of the thorn bush. Brightkit was squished between Brackenkit and Flamekit, while Berrykit had to peer over them. Smokepaw held Darkkit up by the scruff; the tiny tom didn't even seem to notice, eyes still tight-shut.

Though she couldn't see the entrance or the warrior den due to the small hollow surrounding the nursery, she could just barely make out the medicine den and Clanrock. Alderstar had already leapt up, while the gray pelt of Duskspring blended in amongst the stone. A blue molly sat just in front of them with two kits- another blue she-cat and a black and white tom. Smokepaw leaned her head down to murmur they were named Puddle, Barkkit, and Rainkit.

Next came Honeywater and Stonebreeze, the oldest warriors in the Clan, who sat close by each other. Badgerthroat and Briarpaw met up with Flowerstrike and Skyberry, greeting the elders with respect. Leafleg and Addershine were chatting, sneaking hopeful glances at the two kits. Slatestep, Newtfrost, and Mossyear were last to come, smelling of fresh-kill.

"Look," Brackenkit whispered. At the very edge of the Clanrock sat an all black molly, smaller than any of the other warriors. Brightkit assumed that was Ravenwind, who she knew, vaguely, to be the medicine cat. Ravenwind caught her eye and nodded a greeting. Brightkit nodded back, hoping that was what she was supposed to do.

Alderstar looked ancient to Brightkit. His long fur was ruffled and brittle, his muzzle sprinkled with gray. There was a friendly twinkle in his eyes. "We've got quite a lot of kits this season, haven't we?" he meowed. A ripple of agreement shook ShadowClan. "StarClan has blessed us with young blood, and ShadowClan will honor this blessing with two new 'paws. Barkkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Barkpaw. Your mentor will be Mossyear. I hope she will pass on her wisdom and courage onto you."

The gray-striped warrior stood and padded forward to brush noses with Barkpaw. Brightkit thought she looked fairly surprised by the turn of events.

"Rainkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Rainpaw. Your mentor will be Newtfrost. I hope he will pass on his patience and kindness onto you."

Rainpaw didn't hesitate. Rather, she stood and sprinted across the clearing, almost smashing heads with Newtfrost.

"Barkpaw! Rainpaw!" Alderstar started the chant. "Barkpaw! Rainpaw!"

Once the chant was over, warriors started to disperse. Newtfrost and Mossyear found each other almost instantly to discuss their plans for the day, Rainpaw and Barkpaw both looking eager to go. Badgerthroat and Briarpaw met up with them, the older apprentice bumping noses with the new 'paws.  _Smokepaw should be with them, shouldn't she?_  Brightkit thought, tipping her head back. Her mother was staring at her paws.

"It's been three moons," she meowed finally. "And Alderstar still hasn't sent a battle patrol to deal with WindClan."

Flamekit licked her arm, blinking up at Smokepaw. "I'm sorry, mama. Maybe next time."

"Maybe next time," Smokepaw repeated, then sighed. "Maybe next time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot woot! I wanted to introduce the kittens, so I wrote out chapter one real quick. Don't worry, ya'll- I don't expect anyone to remember all of them. I'll put their descriptions down below. Also, this is set in the forest territories.
> 
> Brackenkit (dark tabby tom), Berrykit (all black she-cat), Darkkit (tiny black tom), Flamekit (pale ginger tom), and Brightkit (pale ginger she-cat).
> 
> -Mandaree1


	3. Rainy Days

The steady pitter-patter of raindrops was a familiar sound during Newleaf in ShadowClan, making the already moist ground boggy and unpleasant to the paw. Brightkit was grateful for the somewhat dryness of the nursery, and that she was young enough that she didn't have to go anywhere, unlike Rainpaw and Barkpaw, who she'd overheard complaining as they slipped out of the apprentices' den for the first time.

Brightkit, Brackenkit, Flamekit, and Berrykit all watched as the storm rumbled on. They were too young to be used to the sound of it quite yet, making it almost impossible for them to sleep through, save for Darkkit. Brightkit snuck a jealous glance at her smallest brother.  _He sleeps through everything!_

"Excuse me," Stonebreeze coughed, sticking his head into the nursery. The warrior was too wet to think of moving in further. "Smokepaw, it's time for some battle training."

Smokepaw stretched and sat up, dipping her head. "Okay. Let me get someone to watch over the kits real quick."

"Aww, mama," Flamekit said, frowning in a pout. "Can't you stay with us?"

She wound her tail under his chin. "'Fraid not, kiddo. Stonebreeze is teaching me to be a big warrior. Besides; you're all old enough to spend a little time without me."

"Even Darkkit?" Brackenkit asked. The black tom still hadn't stirred.

Smokepaw winced and looked away. "Let your brother sleep and he should be fine."

"Mind your mother, kits," Stonebreeze butted in. "She's given up a lot to raise you."

"Hush!" the dark molly's ears pinned back. "I wanted kits, so I had kits. It's as simple as that."

Her mentor blinked at her, surprised by her tone, then stepped back so she could slip into the damp clearing. Stonebreeze made no further attempts to talk to them, stiffly watching Smokepaw as she slipped into the Clanrock. The apprentice soon returned with Alderstar, the tabby smiling ear to ear.

Berrykit's eyes got very wide. "Is Alderstar gonna kittensit us?"

"Sure am!" the leader chirped. Even at this distance, Brightkit could hear him purring. "I've been meaning to spend time with you all. You're my kin, after all."

"We are?" Brackenkit breathed. He looked positively ecstatic. "We're the luckiest kits in ShadowClan!"

"Yup," Alderstar meowed, plopping down where Smokepaw usually relaxed. "Lucky."

* * *

Alderstar proved to be a slow-moving, calm warrior, who didn't do much. He cleaned them almost incessantly, then fell into a doze. When Berrykit asked him for a badger ride he obliged, then rolled onto his back with a content sigh, letting them all crawl through his belly fur like fleas. Eventually, when they had all wore themselves out, the kittens settled against their grandfather.

"Sorry about Darkkit," Brightkit murmured into his scruff. "He's a lazy lump."

Alderstar frowned. "Oh, honey, it's not like that."

The pale ginger blinked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Your brother is very ill, Brightkit," Alderstar meowed. He reached a fluffy paw out to pull her closer. "It happens sometimes. In big litters."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

He slowly shook his head. "It's not very likely."

Brightkit swallowed a wave of fear. "Is he gonna die?"

Alderstar didn't reply.

She stumbled out from under her grandfather's paw and fell on her back. Brightkit rolled onto her side and then her feet. Alderstar didn't stop her as she ran right out into the rain, slipping a little on the mud.  _I gotta talk to Ravenwind_ , she decided on the fly.  _She's a medicine cat. She can help Darkkit._

"Hey, Brightkit!" Briarpaw called, having just returned from a solo hunt. Clutched in his jaws was a small rabbit. "I caught this right after it went over the border," he explained as he neared, whiskers twitching in a friendly manner. "Those rabbit-munchers'll be so angry when they smell the blood!"

Brightkit tipped her head to the side. "But, by catching a rabbit... doesn't that make  _us_  rabbit-munchers?"

"Eh, I'll eat it myself. It's a small price to pay." He shrugged, flicking an ear dismissively. "What's up with you?"

Chatting with the apprentice had calmed her slightly- Briarpaw wasn't someone she was overly familiar with, but he seemed well-meaning enough- but the reminder of her quest had her bristling all over again. "I need to talk to Ravenwind!"

The tortoiseshell became a little wary. "Oh,  _her_."

His tone of voice made her ears flatten. "Is that wrong?"

"No, no," he said. "She's just a bit off, is all. I think she forgets that not everyone works on the same basis as she does." Briarpaw nosed her head. "Just don't be too surprised if she doesn't give you the answers you're hoping for."

"I won't be," Brightkit promised solemnly. Briarpaw picked up the soggy fresh-kill and padded off to eat his meal, sending her a farewell flick of his tail. The light ginger she-cat continued on her journey to the den hidden behind some ferns at the bottom of the Clanrock. The reek of herbs blended with the damp air, making the air pungent and heavy as she poked her nose inside.

She found Ravenwind with her paw in a hole, pulling out some tiny red berries. She tapped her claws, counting them one-by-one, then rolled them back inside without a word. Her face was intensely focused, like it was the most somber of all medicine cat duties. Brightkit opened her mouth to try and catch a whiff, but it was all so overwhelming she didn't have the slightest idea what the herb might be. "Ravenwind?"

The black molly jumped. She straightened, one paw still in the air. "Oh. Hello, Brightkit. How may I help you?"

"You know my name?" she asked, surprised.

"Of course I do," Ravenwind replied. "I helped your mother give birth to you, and I keep watch over you and your littermates. It's part of my job."

"Oh. Well..." Brightkit took a few bold steps forward. "You're doing your job wrong!"

The medicine cat grew very still. Her eyes opened just a fraction wider, studying her tiny body, then shifted into a half-closed, almost sleepy state. "Is that so?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Well, I apologize. I'll bring you all some prey later." She covered the hole with a big leaf she seemed to keep for that particular purpose. "That would be a decent place to start."

"I don't want your prey!" she snapped. "I want you to make Darkkit better!"

Ravenwind seemed floored yet again, though this time she was much quicker to recover. "Better?"

"He's sick!"

"No, he's not," she disagreed. "He's just weak. It happens, sometimes. And it's very unfortunate, but it's just part of life."

Brightkit quivered a little. If the medicine cat couldn't help Darkkit, who could? "Isn't there  _something_  you can do?"

Ravenwind sighed and patted the spot next to her. "Sit." She did, and found a black tail wrapping around her side. "Your mother had a big litter, and she had you pretty young for a ShadowClan cat. Not to mention that the grief she must've felt when Birchpaw died would have caused stress on you all when you were in her belly. Darkkit's development suffered because of that."

"Can he get better?"

"It's  _possible_ , but not  _probable_ ," she meowed. "Darkkit will be welcomed in StarClan. It's really the best we can hope for him- the best bad ending, if that makes sense."

Brightkit felt something inside her rebel against the idea, but she also really, truly didn't want to have this discussion anymore. Instead, she bent over a little and gestured to the covered hole. "What are those things? I've never seen them before."

Ravenwind crouched a little, as if divulging a great secret, but she didn't seem perturbed to tell her. "They're red pearls."

"What's a pearl?"

"I'm not entirely sure," she admitted. "It's a term a kittypet used, once, that I always liked."

"What do they do?"

Ravenwind's eyes glittered. "They can do all sorts of things. Secret, medicine cat things. Perhaps I'll show you when you're older."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, a proper Ravenwind introduction! About time! I actually had no real intentions to name-drop this 'fic before this very moment (it was just a neat name to me) but, hey, why not.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	4. The Line

"I dunno what's the matter," Puddle was meowing. "I haven't eaten anything odd lately- just that crow you gave me yesterday. But it feels like there's a weasel in my belly."

Ravenwind dipped her head understandingly. "This sort of thing happens sometimes. Are you up for a scrap of yarrow? It'll make you vomit the bad prey out."

The elder grimaced but didn't complain. "Whatever you think will help, medicine cat."

Behind Puddle sat Brightkit, curiously watching as Ravenwind went to get the herbs. "Did it hurt when you lost your eyes?"

The molly flicked an ear in her general direction. "I was born this way, kiddo. Didn't hurt a bit."

"Ravenwind? May I-" Alderstar started as he padded into the den, pausing. "Oh. Excuse me. I wasn't aware you had a patient."

"It's fine." She flicked an ear dismissively. "There's nothing you can say to me that they can't overhear."

For a moment, the leader was hesitant, looking at Brightkit, before ultimately dipping his head. "I've got almost everything set up for the ceremony, but I'm still not sure who Graykit's mentor should be."

Ravenwind set a mouthful of white flowers down, wrapped in a thick green leaf. "Eat one of these, Puddle," she said, then hmmed to herself. "Slatestep is a good choice. A great warrior. I've told you more than once that she could make a good deputy."

"I'm giving Flowerkit to Slatestep, actually." Alderstar wrinkled his nose as Puddle began to hack, but politely waited until she was done before going on. "And Duskspring asked for Hawkkit. I think he likes how energetic he is."

"If I may, Alderstar," the elder gurgled, head on her paws as she waited out the last uncomfortable wriggles of her stomach. "Honeyflower is a good warrior. She could teach even the oldest cat somethin'."

"Too close to the elders' den," he answered, shaking his head. He paused. "I... was actually considering Leafleg."

Ravenwind sat as straight as a board. " _Leafleg_?" she repeated, saying the name as if it was the grossest thing she'd ever heard. "Alderstar, Graykit is a sensitive cat who needs time and patience. Surely, he deserves someone more understanding than Leafleg."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I just don't understand why you have it out for him."

The black molly padded over so they were face-to-face, frowning. "Leafleg is an embarrassment of a ShadowClan warrior," she growled. "He hardly deserves his full name, let alone an apprentice. Give Graykit to  _literally anyone else_. I promise you, he'll thank you for it later."

"Ravenwind," said Alderstar, gruffly. "You're out of line. Leafleg is your Clanmate, and Clanmates support each other."

Ravenwind's eyes turned to wicked slits. "Out of line? You think  _I'm_  out of line?" Her voice lowered a little. "I'll tell you what's out of line, Alderstar. You're stocking the apprentices' den like it's the prey-pile, hoping it'll make up for Birchpaw, and it's not gonna work. All it does it show the other Clans that you're a scared little boy who doesn't have the ability to take revenge." She backed away slightly, tail high, and regarded him like he was a slug. "Is it any wonder no one takes ShadowClan seriously anymore?"

The fur along Brightkit's spine began to rise. Could a medicine cat talk like that to a leader? And, even if they  _could_ , did she really have to?

"That's enough," Alderstar snarled, deathly quiet. His amber eyes were blazing with anger. "If that's the way you're going to act, I forbid you from joining the ceremony. Or any ceremony, for that matter. Not until you're able to treat me and your other Clanmates with respect."

"You make it sound like I wanted to come in the first place," she snorted. "Make all the big talk you want, Alderstar. We'll see who's right with time."

The dark tabby tom shook the words away, then bent over to quickly lick Brightkit between the ears. "I'll see you later, honey. Try not to pick up Ravenwind's bad temperament while I'm gone." He glared at the medicine cat a moment longer, then disappeared with a flick of his fluffy tail. Ravenwind watched him go, amber eyes somehow even sharper and more intimidating than usual.

"Frog-brain," she hissed finally. "Taking the word of StarClan so lightly."

"Grief can do all sorts of things to a cat," Puddle meowed, startling Brightkit, who'd forgotten the elder was there. "It can even dull the sharpest of claws. Alderstar just wants to hold on to what little family he has left."

"Is that so?" Ravenwind murmured. "Why don't you relax, Puddle? I'll get you something nice to eat." Sensing the blue she-cat's displeasure, she added: "It'll just be something small. An empty belly can be just as bad as an overly full one."

She slowly dipped her head. "Whatever you think is best, Ravenwind."

The medicine cat returned with a mouse. Then, as Brightkit watched curiously, she rubbed tiny little seeds in its fur, putting a few in the prey's mouth for good measure. She caught the kit's stare and mouthed _foxglove seeds_ , then winked. Brightkit thought they looked awfully like poppy seeds, and assumed they did the same thing.  _Has Puddle had trouble sleeping?_

"Here you go, Puddle," Ravenwind purred, setting the doctored fresh-kill at her paws. "Eat every bite."

Puddle pulled the prey closer. Her nose wrinkled. "This smells like the crow, Ravenwind."

"It's a mouse," Brightkit chipped in.

"I know the difference between feathers and fur!" she snapped, looking very confused. "I just can't shake this feeling..."

Ravenwind's black tail curled under the blind elder's chin gently. "I spend so much time in the den, the smell of herbs rubbed off on the food I brought. It's nothing to worry about."

Puddle reluctantly shrugged. "If you say so, medicine cat." She opened her mouth and sunk her teeth in deep, chewing and swallowing with little relish. Ravenwind nodded in satisfaction as she gulped the meal down in awkward gulps, then curled up for a nap. Her head slumped over in a lopsided way that made her stomach sink.

"Brightkit?" she prompted, seeing the look on her face.

Brightkit put a paw on her back. "Is Puddle sick?"

"No, dear. She's just old." Ravenwind pulled some black seeds out of a different hole, holding them out. "Would you like to try one?"

She glanced at Puddle, then her. "Are they foxglove?"

"Nope. Poppy." She gently set one of the seeds on her sandy yellow paw. "I just need to make sure these are fresh enough to use."

Against her better judgement, Brightkit bent down and took it into her mouth, crunching through the thin outer shell with her sharp teeth. A strange, earthy flavor came spilling out, and then she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

The last thing she heard was Ravenwind, reaching up to pick her up by the scruff. "I do believe they're plenty fresh after all," she chuckled to herself. "Thank you, Brightkit."

* * *

The world swam around her as she stirred. Pelts blended together as she dangled in Ravenwind's jaws like fresh-kill, just hidden behind the lichen curtain in front of the medicine den. The medicine cat, sensing her beginning to wake, plopped her down on the spare nest before returning to the same spot, ears cocked.

Alderstar's voice pierced the silence. "...You will be known as Graypaw. Your mentor will be Leafleg. I hope he passes on his confidence and bravery onto you."

"Flowerpaw! Hawkpaw! Graypaw!" The chanting was eerily warped in Brightkit's ears. She watched, eyes half-lidded, as Ravenwind padded over to Puddle and hauled her up by the scruff, dragging her into the clearing. There was a loud thud, and a collective silence. Barkpaw let out a shriek of terror.

"She's dead!" Ravenwind cried, tossing her head back. "It's a sign from StarClan! They're punishing us!"

"What for?" Mossyear demanded, tucking her apprentice behind her back. "We've been loyal to the code!"

"If they're mad at anyone, it's Ravenwind," Leafleg grunted, tail flicking back and forth impatiently. "She ruined a perfect ceremony."

"Ravenwind," Alderstar meowed, sounding worried in spite of their earlier argument. "This is certainly an unsettling development, but there's no evidence it's punishment from StarClan. Puddle was old, and now she rests in the sky."

"Evidence? I've got your evidence." Brightkit winced as she was lifted and brought out, set next to Puddle's lifeless form. The bright light hurt her eyes. "They've taken their rage out on our kits! Isn't that proof enough?"

"Brightkit!" screeched Smokepaw. The queen was by her side in an instant, pressing her nose to her wobbly form. "Speak to me, kiddo."

"Momma?" she slurred. "I'm sleepy."

"She'll be fine, Smokepaw," Ravenwind meowed. "This time, anyway. But do we really want to risk a second?"

Honeyflower took a step forward. The older warrior had an air of wisdom to her that automatically made the other cats listen. "What are they punishing us for, Ravenwind?" she asked, staring holes into the medicine cat's tiny body. "Mossyear is right. We've followed the code. There's three fine litters in our Clan, two of which are now apprentices. In what way could they  _possibly_  be unsatisfied?"

"It's got to be WindClan," grunted Stonebreeze, baring his front fangs. "Birchpaw's blood runs through the moor, and what have we done to make them pay?"

Briarpaw dug his claws into the boggy ground. "If only I had the chance, I'd rip them to shreds."

"We should be careful," Slatestep advised, winding her tail around Flowerpaw. "They aren't afraid to kill 'paws. They won't hesitate to attack full-grown warriors."

"Let them try!" Badgerthroat yowled. "We're ShadowClan!"

Smokepaw blinked up at Alderstar morosely. The long-furred leader stood above them, frozen, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. "Please," she whispered, clutching Brightkit closer to her. "We've all waited long enough."

Alderstar winced. His eyes were far away as he stamped his paw. "The time has come, ShadowClan," he meowed gravely. "WindClan will know our fury!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today, on Red Pearls: a kitten unknowingly witnesses murder.
> 
> This story, in and of itself, is kind of told in three/four 'acts'. This is the first act- Brightkit as a kitten, and Ravenwind using her influence and power to start battle with WindClan. The second 'act' is when she's an apprentice, and so on.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	5. Snowy Farewell

The sun was just beginning to dip over the horizon as ShadowClan cats gathered in front of Alderstar. Honeyflower, Stonebreeze, Slatestep, Badgerthroat, Leafleg, Briarpaw, and Smokepaw were called by Duskspring, the deputy's tail raised high. In the distance, Brightkit could hear Rainpaw arguing with her mentor about wanting to join as revenge for her late mother, but Newtfrost refused.

"Do you really have to go, mama?" Flamekit meowed, voice wobbly. "Can't you just stay with us?"

Smokepaw shook her head, bending down to lick his cheek. "I can't," she answered firmly. "Don't worry; Fallingfeather will take care of you while I'm gone."

As if to prove her point, the long-furred she-cat appeared at the entrance of the nursery. Fallingfeather and Smokepaw exchanged a nod, and then their mother was gone, following the other warriors into battle.

With the patrol gone, the ShadowClan camp suddenly felt empty and lifeless. Barkpaw and Rainpaw were huddled close together, whispering in each others ears. Mossyear and Addershine were watching over the new apprentices, while Flowerstrike and Skyberry quietly sulked around the clearing, eyes dark. Hawkpaw's eyes glowed with excitement as he chatted with the warriors. Graypaw and Flowerpaw exchanged an uncertain look, but ultimately stood aside.

"Mama!" A gravely voice meowed, and all of the kits jumped at once as Darkkit came stumbling out. It was very rare their brother was ever this mobile, let alone speaking so loudly. "Mama, where'd you go?"

"Mama went to fight WindClan, Darkkit," Berrykit said gently. "She's gonna avenge papa."

The black tom looked horrified. Snot clung to his little nose. "I didn't even get to say goodbye?" he whispered morosely, then shook himself, then stumbled, dizzy. "What if something happens?"

Terror pulsed through Brightkit as she regarded her sickly brother. What if something  _did_  happen, and Smokepaw didn't come home? What would happen to them? Fallingfeather was nice enough, but she was busy with her apprentice-age litter, and no new queens had stepped up as of yet.  _Will we be left to fend for ourselves?_

" _Nothing_  will happen," insisted Brackenkit, though he didn't look very sure of himself. WindClan warriors had spilled apprentice blood before- it was possible they'd do it again. "Let's just try to get some sleep, okay? They probably won't be back 'til sunrise."

Flamekit went on Darkkit's other side, letting his brother lean on him. The light ginger tom nuzzled Darkkit with a purr, then led him back into the nursery.

* * *

"Can't it wait 'till mama gets back?" Darkkit whined, unintentionally stirring Brightkit. "I didn't get to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry," another, unfamiliar voice meowed. Brightkit's ear flicked back, startled. "We have to go now."

 _WindClan!_  Brightkit's tail bristled. She slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes, half expecting some burly warrior with scars criss-crossing their face. It was a lithe brown tom who came into her view instead, bent slightly to speak with Darkkit, who looked shockingly awake. A splash of white covered his paws and chest, with a stripe up the bridge of his muzzle.

Brightkit scrambled to her paws, tiny little claws sliding out. She hissed pitifully at the figure. "Leave my brother alone!"

The brown tom jumped, staring at her with wide eyes. "You can see me?"

"Of course she can," chirped Darkkit. "Brightkit sees everything. She's nosy like that."

"Hello, Brightkit," the stranger replied, dipping his head. "I'm just going to take Darkkit out for a stroll. Is that okay?"

"No way!" she spat. "I don't know you! You could be WindClan!"

"I'm not WindClan," he purred. "My name is Birchpaw, and I'm all ShadowClan."

Brightkit froze, stunned. Opening her mouth revealed that there was only ShadowClan scent in the air. Her sandy yellow fur slowly fell back down to her pelt. "But..." she swallowed. "But you're dead."

"I am," Birchpaw agreed. He shifted his tail so it was moved into the moonlight, revealing the stars glimmering in his form. "You must have the gift of StarClan, little one." He patted her on the head with his paw. "So, may I take your brother for a walk?"

Brightkit glanced at Darkkit, who was watching the spirit of their father. He caught her eye and smiled. "I wanna go, Brightkit," he meowed. "It's time I did."

"Are you sure?" She tipped her head to the side. "You're feeling up to it?"

He padded over to her, bumping noses. "Never felt better," he promised. "If you see mama before I do, tell her I love her, okay?"

Baffled, Brightkit slowly nodded. Birchpaw guided her into a laying position, then touched the top of her head with his nose. Darkness swamped her; but, unlike the darkness that had attacked her when she munched on Ravenwind's poppy seed, rendering her mostly unable to remember that day, this was gentle and serene. Her eyes slid shut as Birchpaw led Darkkit out into the night, tail wrapped around his smallest son.

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she slept. The night had faded into early sunrise, the cool breeze of early Leaf-bare striking her pelt and leaving her shivering. Brightkit yawned and stretched, unintentionally bumping Berrykit, and soon all the kittens began to stir. Fallingfeather snored loudly from her own nest. For a moment, the events of last night seemed like a dream, and Smokepaw had simply gone on dawn patrol with Stonebreeze.

But then she heard Flamekit's tiny meow, his voice pitched low with horror. "Darkkit, no!"

Brightkit opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, only for her tastebuds to be swamped with the odor of death. Brackenkit was pressing tiny paws to Darkkit's side, shaking him viciously. Darkkit moved like a rag doll, asleep forever.

 _He's with Birchpaw,_  she started to say, but then stopped. Who would believe her? She was just a kitten, and it had been late at night. Her own littermates would assume she dreamt meeting the ghost of their father.  _But it was so real! It had to be!_

"Oh, Darkkit," Fallingfeather whispered. Caught up in her grief, Brightkit hadn't heard the queen move. The long-furred molly bent down and secured Darkkit by the scruff of his neck, lifting him out of their nest. The rest of them stood and followed numbly; somewhere, deep down, they'd all believed he'd pull through. But he didn't.  _I'll never share a single ceremony with him._

Ravenwind padded out of her den soonafter, and immediately took a seat next to her. Brightkit felt uncomfortable around the medicine cat, though she didn't know why. All she could recall was a gross taste and feeling very, very sleepy, which Ravenwind had decreed was a sign from StarClan. The tiny she-cat wrapped her tail around Brightkit's side and said nothing, letting her sit vigil over her brother. The few remaining cats soon caught wind of what was going on and joined them.

It was around Sunhigh that the patrol returned, covered in blood. Alderstar and Duskspring led; the leader had thick, deep clawmarks on his sides and hindquarters, while the deputy suffered from a badly wounded tail. Stonebreeze and Slatestep both carried bad paws, though Slatestep bore her's with a quiet dignity, jaws firmly shut to admitting any pain. Honeyflower was supporting Badgerthroat, who was so red she could barely make out her true pelt. Leafleg was almost entirely untouched, trotting into camp with a frustrated flick of the tail. Briarpaw and Smokepaw came last, leaning on each other for comfort. Brightkit noticed her mother's ear was torn.

"They chased us halfway to Silverpelt," Leafleg grumbled, head low. "I've never seen those rabbit-munchers so well-fed during the colder seasons."

"Don't kid yourself," Badgerthroat rasped. She turned her muzzle to look at him, and Brightkit realized with dawning horror that she was missing her left eye. "You ran the moment you smelled them coming."

"I was going to send word to camp!"

"What word? That you're a mouse-heart? Anyone could've told you that."

Smokepaw pushed through the vigil with a blank face. She was the first of the patrol to spot Darkkit amongst the throng of cats. Her body crumpled to the marshy ground with a low moan. She pressed her nose to Darkkit's side, eyes fluttering shut.

Ravenwind stood. "Worst injured first."

Alderstar shoved Badgerthroat over to her, then gimped over to the Clanrock. He bunched up his legs and leapt, just barely making it. His back paws dangled a moment before he gathered his resolve and climbed up. He studied the vigil with a sad gleam to his eye. "ShadowClan, we lost the battle, and we lost Darkkit. If this is StarClan's punishment for my own trepidation, than I can only hope I can make up for it as time drags on. We will be better prepared for the next fight; and we will win." He lifted his chin. "But, with all this grief, there is still good to be found. Briarpaw and Smokepaw fought like warriors, and it's only fair they should be honored as such."

Brightkit stared at her grandfather, floored. She watched out of the corner of her eye as her mother padded up with a neutral expression, looking more exhausted than she'd ever seen her. Behind her stood Stonebreeze, the gray and white spotted tom's eyes gleaming with pride. Badgerthroat broke away from Ravenwind to meet up with Briarpaw. Her face was half-covered with cobwebs, which were rapidly turning red.

Alderstar lifted his tail. He didn't ask their mentors for any proof of their abilities. "I, Alderstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you in turn. Briarpaw, Smokepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Briarpaw dipped his head. "I do."

Smokepaw stared at her feet a moment, no doubt thinking of all the horrible things she'd faced in recent moons. When she met Alderstar's eyes, it was with solemn sincerity. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." Alderstar hopped down to meet them. "Briarpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Briarspots. StarClan honors your helpful nature and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

The new warrior padded up to Alderstar with a skip in his step, licking his shoulder before stepping back. Badgerthroat nodded, satisfied with her now ex-apprentice's name, and went back to join the wounded.

"Smokepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Smokestripe. StarClan honors your fortitude and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Smokestripe confidentially bowed her head so he could rest his muzzle on it, licking his shoulder.

Almost immediately the Clan began to chant, their voices dull with defeat and grief. Brightkit tried to make her voice the loudest, so her mother would know just how proud she was. "Briarspots! Smokestripe! Briarspots! Smokestripe!"

"Watch over us well tonight," Duskspring meowed gravely. "I don't believe we have StarClan's appreciation for our actions."

"Nonsense," Mossyear grunted, between licks at Badgerthroat's face. "StarClan sent us on this path in the first place. They must have  _some_  reason."

Briarspots padded over to the camp entrance to sit his personal vigil. Smokestripe, meanwhile, returned to her spot by Darkkit's side. In spite of her mother's young age, Brightkit thought she spotted a few gray furs on her muzzle.

That night, for the first time in her life, it snowed. Smokestripe simply shuffled so her pelt took the most abuse, keeping Darkkit as safe and warm as she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smokestripe doesn't deserve basically any of this tbh.
> 
> Well, Ravenwind's plans ended up causing more harm than good (surprise surprise), and WindClan cats are surprisingly buff this season. That can only lead the trouble.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	6. Playtime

"Rawr!" Brackenkit squeaked, pressing Berrykit to the snow. He dug his tiny teeth into her scruff. "I got you!"

"Oh nooooo!" Berrykit flopped onto her side, tongue hanging out jokingly. "I'm dead now."

"Speaking of dead." They all turned to find Rainpaw and Barkpaw trudging through the snow towards them. Flamekit was clutched in Barkpaw's jaws. "You mind telling me why your brother was following us?"

" _Flamekit_!" Brackenkit sounded mortified. "We're not old enough to leave camp!"

Barkpaw dropped Flamekit to the ground. The snow was up to his chest as he shuffled over to his littermates, tail dragging. "I just wanted to see them train!" he wailed. "It all looks so cool! And it's  _way_  better than sitting around in the cold and going hungry!"

"We're hungry too, you know," Rainpaw snapped. "I  _wish_  I could curl up in the nursery and wait until patrols came back with fresh-kill."

"Mossyear got me up before dawn to catch prey," Barkpaw added, though he looked far more sheepish than his sister. "I still haven't gotten a bite to eat, and it's almost Sunhigh."

Brightkit stared up at the two young apprentices, feeling a dash of sympathy. They'd just been made 'paws. They'd lost their mother, and now they were starving like regular warriors, all skin and bone. She padded forward to touch Barkpaw's foot. "Wanna play with us?"

Rainpaw and Barkpaw exchanged an uneasy look. "Newtfrost would have my tail," Rainpaw growled, her eyes glowing with excitement. "But it'd be worth it."

The kittens started to run, but the apprentices were faster. Rainpaw scooped Flamekit up once again, poking him in the back before pronouncing him 'dead'. Brackenkit and Brightkit ducked between their legs, nipping at their tails. Barkpaw slumped to the snow with an overdramatic yowl, whilst Rainpaw's tail slithered under her stomach as she whirled around. The gray-blue molly gave a great leap, kicking up snow under her paws, and tackled Brightkit to the snowy ground. Brightkit wailed and went limp, sticking her tongue out to show she had been taken down. Brackenkit hissed and wrapped his jaws around Rainpaw's back leg. The apprentice flopped down next to Brightkit with a cackle.

"I won," Brackenkit panted, staring around the fallen cats. "But at what cost?"

Barkpaw snorted. "Can I get up now?"

"Kits!" Smokestripe's harsh meow made all of them jump and hunch over, ashamed, as the queen padded up to them. Worry glowed in her eyes. "You shouldn't be playing in the snow like this. You could get sick!"

"We're  _fine_ , mama," Brackenkit grumped, kicking out his paw. "Rainpaw and Barkpaw were watching over us."

The black molly's attention shifted to the two young apprentices. "Are Newtfrost and Mossyear aware where you are?"

"Yes, ma'am." Barkpaw dipped his head. "They let us come back for a short break."

Smokestripe's features softened as she took in their battered and snow-flecked forms. "Go get yourselves something off the pile. You've earned it." She reached out to hook Berrykit by the scruff, leading the others to the nursery with her tail. Ever since Darkkit had passed a moon ago, the young warrior had proven to be very touchy with how her kits were handled, Berrykit especially, as the molly shared their dead brother's black pelt.

Brightkit's tail twitched with barely contained irritation as she crawled into their nest to get warm. They were used to Stonebreeze taking their mother out of camp early in the morning, leaving Fallingfeather to look after them- she was just barely younger than Smokestripe's ex-mentor, and spent the majority of her time sleeping. Now that she was a warrior, she was allowed to stay full-time in camp with her litter, and the sudden dynamic change was grinding on all their nerves.

 _We're three moons old_ , she thought rebelliously, setting her chin on her paws.  _We can take care of ourselves._

* * *

"It was half dead! How could you have missed  _that_?"

Brightkit jolted awake. She hadn't even felt herself falling asleep. Smokestripe had moved slightly, sitting near the entrance of the nursery, her head just poking out.  _She's never gotten to be a warrior,_  Brightkit realized suddenly, padding over to sit next to her.  _She's probably as bored of this place as we are._

Smokestripe didn't speak, just angled her nose toward the opening that led out of camp. Flowerpaw was carrying a half-frozen chaffinch in her jaws, eyes darting around uneasily. Hawkpaw had a scrawny vole. Graypaw had nothing, staring at his paws as Leafleg scolded him.

"Enough, Leafleg," Slatestep growled. "It was just bad luck."

The brown warrior pretended not to hear, hackles raised. "Your littermates both caught prey. You should have too. If anything, you should be twice the hunter they are! It's not like you can make a lot of noise!" Graypaw flinched. "A cat who doesn't bring home fresh-kill is a cat who starves. That's a lesson you need to learn. No food for you tonight."

Duskspring shoved between Leafleg and the rapidly withdrawing apprentice, teeth bared. "It's not up to you to decide who does or doesn't eat, Leafleg."

"But-" the warrior tried to argue.

The deputy cut him off. "This is no way to treat your apprentice. It's harassment, plain and simple. As such, you are not to eat tonight or tomorrow morning- you will know the harsh reality of how you wished to punish Graypaw." Leafleg opened his jaws to complain, but Duskspring cut him off with a glare. "You may go, Leafleg."

Leafleg's ears flattened as he mulled over his options. Finally, tail lashing, he stomped off, growling under his breath.

Brightkit felt sick to her stomach at the scene. "Mama, will my mentor be like Leafleg?"

Smokestripe's eyes widened. "Oh, no, not at all. That's now how a true mentor acts." She sighed. "I just don't know why Alderstar is so fond of him. He's nothing but a bully."

"He looks like Birchpaw," Brightkit meowed before she could stop herself. "I mean, a little bit."

Her mother stared at her. "You know what Birchpaw looked like?"

Brightkit flinched at the wonder in Smokestripe's voice.  _Did I do something wrong?_  "He was all brown, like Leafleg, with white on him," she replied, crouching a little. "I met him in my dreams once."

Smokestripe laid down so they were muzzle-to-muzzle. "Oh, honey," she breathed, pulling her closer. Brightkit welcomed the nuzzling with a purr. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think anyone would believe me," Brightkit mumbled into her fur. "Am I... in trouble?"

"Not even a little. You have a gift, Brightkit." Smokestripe licked a spot between her eyes. "You could be a great medicine cat, if you wanted."

"I could?"

"Mmhmm. Medicine cats heal, but they also speak with the dead. Just like you did."

Something warm settled in Brightkit's stomach as she glanced out at the snowy clearing again. Addershine was talking quietly to Graypaw, touching noses with the apprentice before leading him out of the camp once again.  _A great medicine cat..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is shorter and fluffier, but I wanted to show that not every day in Brightkit's life is murder and mayhem, y'know?
> 
> -Mandaree1


	7. Man that's a lot of 'paws

"There's not much I can teach you right now," Ravenwind meowed. "Once the territory warms, however, you'll have your work cut out for you."

Brightkit tipped her head to the side. "Doesn't most sickness happen in Leaf-bare, though?"

"It does," she agreed, shoving some flowers back into a hole. "But there's very few herbs. I can't rightly teach you anything when I don't have the plants for you to memorize." The medicine cat straightened with something like a friendly smile. "Don't worry too much about that. There's always use for apprentices."

"Is that a yes?"

"It is a yes." Quicker than the eye could follow, a paw wrapped around Brightkit, pulling her closer. Ravenwind laved a lick to her head. "I'm glad it was you, Brightkit. You remind me of someone I miss very much."

" _Really_?" breathed Brightkit.

"Really." Ravenwind's eyes softened. "She was yellow, like you, but she had spots instead of stripes."

Brightkit opened her jaws to ask more, but before she could Alderstar's gruff voice echoed through the medicine den. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet me at the Clanrock for a Clan meeting!"

All at once, the moment was ruined. Ravenwind pulled away with her typical distant air. "Let's go find ourselves some seats."

Smokestripe was so close to the Clanrock she could have hopped over to Duskspring without trouble, and Stonebreeze wasn't far behind. Brackenkit, Berrykit, and Flamekit surrounded her, Brightkit quickly joining the fray. Hawkpaw, Flowerpaw, and Graypaw were near the back with their mother, Hawkpaw eagerly craning his neck to see better. Rainpaw and Barkpaw sulked beside their mentors, looking displeased at the notion of sharing the already cramped den with more cats. Leafleg and Addershine were joking around towards the middle; despite the latter not having an apprentice, the cream yellow tom barely glanced at them. Badgerthroat and Mossyear sat with their tails intertwined. Briarspots was murmuring to Mossyear, the very tip of his tail twitching.

"We almost have as many apprentices as we do warriors," said Alderstar as he hopped up. "It's a bit perplexing, I must admit. But just imagine how strong we'll be when they're all powerful warriors!"

"WindClan will quiver like kittypets," Badgerthroat growled. Though her face had healed, the bright pink scar was almost impossible to miss.

"If Ravenwind's right, and this whole thing is StarClan's will, then there's no time to waste," Mossyear added, leaning up to nose her cheek. "We'll get them for what they did to you."

She leaned away. "I don't care about that. I care about Birchpaw and Puddle."

Coughing broke into the moment. Duskspring was hunched over, fur spikey with pain as he hacked. The whole clearing fell silent as he shook himself and sat up, eyes dull. "Sorry, sorry. Proceed."

"You'll  _proceed_  right to my den, Duskspring," Ravenwind meowed. "As soon as the ceremony as over."

Alderstar stared at his deputy, concerned, before reluctantly turning back to the crowd. "Brackenkit, Berrykit, Flamekit, and Brightkit. Please step forward."

Brightkit flinched as she moved closer, ears flat against her head. Coughing like that must hurt, and she didn't want whatever Duskspring had.

"Brackenkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Brackenpaw. Your mentor will be Fallingfeather. I hope she'll pass on her patience and sense of responsibility onto you."

Fallingfeather stood and padded forward, looking surprised about being picked so soon after leaving the nursery. Regardless, she met Brackenpaw with her head high, purring loud enough to be heard from the front as they touched noses.

"Berrykit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Berrypaw. Briarspots, you are young, but you're kind and sensible. You will make a great mentor for Berrypaw."

Berrypaw all but sprinted across the snow to meet up with Briarspots. Unlike Fallingfeather, he seemed fully prepared, probably having been asked first by Alderstar, as he was one of the youngest warriors in ShadowClan.

"Flamekit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Flamepaw. Addershine-" the tom jumped up- "You've proven to be a great backup mentor to Graypaw, and I know you will be just as great with Flamepaw."

Brightkit stared in awe as her siblings sat down in a row with their mentors. None of them had changed in any way, but there was a more grown-up air to them as they watched her pad forward to get her name.

Alderstar's gazed fixed on her. "Brightkit, do you accept the post of apprentice to Ravenwind?"

Excitement fizzled through her pelt. "I do!"

"Then I name you Brightpaw. At the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonstone to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats. The good wishes of all of ShadowClan go with you."

Ravenwind angled her head slightly to bump noses with Brightpaw. There was something intense in her stare that made her want to shy away, but she dug her claws in.

"Brackenpaw! Berrypaw! Flamepaw! Brightpaw!" ShadowClan chanted. Smokestripe looked pleased, but a tinge regretful, bowing her head slightly.  _There should be a Darkpaw too._

"Come with me, mister," Ravenwind meowed as soon as they were finished. Duskspring hung his head like a scolded kit. "You better pray to StarClan that little spectacle wasn't a sign of Greencough, or we're all in trouble." Brightpaw took an important step towards them, hoping to help, but the medicine cat shook her head. "Go with your littermates, Brightpaw. I'm not going to risk you getting sick so young."

"Oh," she replied, feeling cheated. "Um. Yes, ma'am?"

"Brightpaw!" Berrypaw called, eyes glowing. "Come on, slow-slug! We're gonna get to the see the borders!"

She scrambled to follow after them, stumbling a bit over her own paws. Ravenwind hardly gave her a second look, herding Duskspring into the medicine den.  _Where's all your 'you remind of someone I care about' talk now?_

"You'll think he'll be okay?" asked Hawkpaw, coming along her side. The gray and black tom hesitantly met her eye. "He's not gonna die, is he?"

"I don't really know." Brightpaw tried to find the words to comfort him. "But Ravenwind didn't look that worried, so I'm sure he'll be fine."

He suddenly flinched. "Oh, man, I'm being terrible, aren't I? You just lost Darkkit, and here I am-"

"Darkkit died almost four moons ago," she cut him off. "It still hurts, but it's behind us. Duskspring is _now_."

"Thanks, Brightpaw." Hawkpaw's whiskers twitched. "C'mon. Let's see if a couple of mentorless apprentices like us can't make it through a patrol."

* * *

"Show-off!" Berrypaw accused, shoving Hawkpaw's shoulder. "It was just a border patrol, but  _nooooo_. You just  _had_  to nab that mouse."

Hawkpaw carried his fresh-kill by its thin tail. He smiled around the appendage. "Don't worry. Only your mentors saw me."

Flamepaw snorted, shaking his head. "Don't get too worked up about it, sis. It's not even a mouthful."

"You'll be thankful for a mouthful soon enough," Briarspots warned, smiling just a little. "Leaf-bare sucks."

Brightpaw recalled Rainpaw and Barkpaw's thinning pelts with a shudder. She quietly padded away from the congregation of 'paws and mentors, moving hopefully towards the medicine den.  _Maybe she'll need me now!_

But it wasn't to be, however. Ravenwind gave a quiet warning hiss as she neared. "Not now, Brightpaw. I'm not sure if this is Whitecough or Greencough, and I really don't want to toe that line." She paused, eyes raking over her disappointed form. "I'm sorry, dear. It's not that I  _don't_  want to teach you. Darkkit's immune system was so weak, and it's hard to tell if your's is weaker too. I won't take that chance- not until you're older and stronger."

Ashamed of herself, Brightpaw dipped her head. "Yes, Ravenwind."

"I'm keeping Duskspring under observation for the night," she continued. "You might as well pull up a nest in the apprentices' den, okay?"

"Yes, Ravenwind," she repeated, already backing away.

The apprentices' den was more crowded than she'd expected. In the wake of so many cats, the older 'paws had decided to spread moss across the entire floor of the den rather than make individual nests. Graypaw was curled up in a tight ball, while Hawkpaw and Flowerpaw were sprawled out side-by-side. Rainpaw and Barkpaw were already snoring, wore out from their tasks. Her own littermates were flopped together in a slapdash pile, poking fun at one another.

As the only medicine cat, Brightpaw felt very, very out of place.

Thankfully, Hawkpaw seemed to notice her hesitation, waving her over with a paw. "There's plenty of room over here," he reassured her as she languished on her back like him. His voice softened. "Don't worry so much, okay? It's only until Duskspring gets better."

Brightpaw swallowed and nodded. She didn't imagine the underlying worry in his voice at the thought of his mentor getting ill. "Yeah. Yeah. Okay." She closed her eyes and tried to get comfortable. "G'night."

"G'night, Brightpaw."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for the kiddos! Now things can start heating up, since Brightpaw is officially Ravenwind's apprentice (even if she's not quite ready for her yet)
> 
> I try my best to make Ravenwind's actions as double-sided as possible- by which I mean you can read them in a good or bad way. Ravenwind offering Alderstar prey in the first chapter could very well have been her trying to poison him, or maybe she was apologizing. Ravenwind could be concerned about Brightpaw's health, or manipulating her to various ends. That type of thing.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	8. Flowers

Brightpaw sunk her teeth into a lizard, killing the prey with one quick twist of her head. It was ridiculously scrawny, but most everything was during Leaf-bare, herself included.

Hawkpaw padded up, tail curling with pleasure. "Good catch!" he purred.

She blinked at him affectionately. Brightpaw scraped some snow over her catch before moving on, Hawkpaw close behind. With Ravenwind busy and Duskspring ill, the two apprentices had come to spend a lot of time together, hoping to stave off worry for their mentors. At first, Brightpaw had been concerned she was holding the older apprentice back, but Hawkpaw didn't seem to carry any of those fears himself. He'd already given her lessons on correcting her pounce, and she could do a mean front swipe.

They returned to camp with prey in jaw. Hawkpaw had caught a sparrow, chin raised proudly as he trotted over to the elders' den. Brightpaw watched him go, then turned and went into the nursery. Mossyear's kitting had come as a great surprise to ShadowClan; the gray molly hadn't shown any real signs until the very end, when the tiniest bit of belly poked out. Badgerthroat had moved into the den with her mate, and now assisted her in taking care of their single kitten; a tortoiseshell she-kit named Maplekit.

As Brightpaw set the lizard down, she took a moment to study the kitten, fast asleep against Mossyear's belly. Maplekit was only a moon or so old, but she was already sizing up to become an impressive ShadowClan cat when she got older. She had broad shoulders and legs, with a sleek but thick coat. It wouldn't be easy for her enemies to dig their teeth in, that's for sure.

 _I should've been here when she was born_ , Brightpaw thought rebelliously, exiting without so much as a hello.  _I can sort of understand why Ravenwind doesn't want me around Duskspring, but Mossyear is perfectly healthy! I'm a medicine cat!_ Confusion threatened to swallow the 'paw whole as she grumpily plopped down next to Berrypaw, who was munching on a mouse. _Doesn't she_ want _me to learn?_

"Isn't it cute?" Berrypaw meowed, breaking into her reverie.

"Is what cute?"

The black molly angled her ears toward Flamepaw, the sandy yellow tom offering Rainpaw his vole. "I'm pretty sure he's got a crush," she whispered deviously, whiskers twitching. "I hope Rainpaw isn't too mean about it, though. If she doesn't feel the same way."

Brightpaw tilted her head to the side. Flamepaw and Rainpaw were pelt to pelt now, chowing down with relish. "I don't see it," she admitted. "They're acting the same way Hawkpaw and I do."

Berrypaw laughed and shoved her shoulder playfully. "Hey, you said it, not me."

Ears burning with embarrassment, Brightpaw grabbed her sister's scraps of leftover mouse and dug her teeth in.  _I don't have a crush on Hawkpaw_ , she sneered internally. Even if she did, it wasn't like it mattered. Medicine cats couldn't take mates.  _He's been so nice to me, even though he probably has better things to do. I want to keep that kind of relationship between us. Best friends 'till the end!_

A paw tapping her shoulder made Brightpaw shift over, leaning on Berrypaw. Graypaw hovered anxiously above them, a flower clutched in his jaws. For a brief, uncertain moment, Brightpaw thought it was a show of affection. But then she caught the gleam of fear in his eyes, the slight shaking in his paws.

"Are you okay, Graypaw?" asked Berrypaw, concerned.

Graypaw's response was to spit the flower out at their paws, nudging it closer pointedly. The 'paw shrunk as they stared, quivering, his ears flat against his skull.

Brightpaw sniffed delicately at the stem. _I don't think it's a herb. Maybe it's a sign from StarClan?_

Brackenpaw came up behind Graypaw, eyes narrowed. "Did something happen to Flowerpaw?"

 _Flowerpaw!_  Brightpaw and Berrypaw sat up, immediately worried. Flowerpaw was a fairly quiet she-cat, disappearing by herself often. She found it hard to tell what was going on in the black molly's head half the time, but she was still her denmate. "Is she hurt?"

Graypaw shrugged helplessly. He nudged Brackenpaw over to the apprentices' den. The dark tabby tom disappeared a moment, then poked his head back out. "Her scent is stale," he reported. "She must not have come back last night."

"What?" They all flinched as if struck at the quiet terror in Hawkpaw's voice as he approached, head low. "Flowerpaw's missing?"

"It looks like it," Brackenpaw meowed grimly. "I say we all take a quick sniff around the territory for Flowerpaw. If we can't find her, then we'll tell Alderstar." His green eyes swept over them. "Sound good?"

"It'll go faster if we split up," Rainpaw volunteered, having overheard. "Groups of two sound good?"

They all mewed agreement. Brightpaw watched quietly as Berrypaw moved to press comfortingly against Graypaw, quelling his shakes. Flamepaw glanced at Rainpaw; the blue molly's eyes blazed as she impatiently led him into the territory, tail flicking with unspoken frustration at having not noticed their missing Clanmate sooner. To her surprise, Hawkpaw didn't seem to mind not being paired up with Graypaw- rather, he leaned on her, winding their tails together like Rainpaw had. His normal pine and bog odor was almost blotted out with fear-scent.

"We'll find her," Brightpaw promised. "She couldn't have gotten far."

"I'm not worried about _finding_  her," he whispered, voice cracking. "Brightpaw, what if WindClan-"

Her pelt prickled with fear, forcibly reminded of Birchpaw. There was an uneasy peace between WindClan and ShadowClan for now, but they all knew it wasn't going to last. "Come'on," she meowed, forcing her tone to sound a little cheerful. "Let's go check the Carrionplace. Flowerpaw probably just got caught up sniffing out some rats."  _StarClan, please, let that be all it is._

The Carrionplace wasn't somewhere Brightpaw visited often. True, ShadowClan relied on its rat population during Leaf-bare, but it was too dangerous for two apprentices to go by themselves. Unlike most prey, rats were vicious, and more than a few warriors had lost their lives to them over the seasons. Brightpaw didn't see Flowerpaw as the type to try sneaking in alone, and was soon proven right. There wasn't even a whiff of the missing molly's scent on the breeze. In fact, the Carrionplace was almost deadly silent, as if even the rats knew something was wrong.

"That's enough pretending." Hawkpaw whipped around. "We're wasting time. Let's check the Thunderpath."

"I wasn't pretending!" Brightpaw hissed, but followed obediently.

Snow crunched under their paws as they made their way through the territory. She caught a whiff of Slatestep on the breeze; the mentor was probably out looking for her apprentice as well. Panic began to grow more and more steadily in Brightpaw's throat as they moved.  _We should've smelled some newer scent by now_ , she realized. In this time of the season, all the apprentices were out hunting. There was no plausible way Flowerpaw could have been out and about and not been spotted by one of them.

Berrypaw's wailing seemed to confirm her suspicions. Pelt bristling, Hawkpaw sprinted off towards the black apprentice's call, Brightpaw close behind. The noise led them to a half-frozen river, gushing sluggishly in the cold. Graypaw was crumpled by the shore, whiskers dragging along the waves. Berrypaw was out on the unstable ice, clawing at a thin layer of ice covering a bundle of black.

For a moment, Brightpaw forgot how to breathe.  _No. It can't be._  She gave a great leap onto the ice, which cracked a little under her paws. It couldn't have frozen over that long ago. Her claws clacked painfully against the ice as she dug next to Berrypaw, unveiling the bundle bit by bit. By the time it broke surface, there was no denying any longer; it was Flowerpaw, soaked to the bone. Her amber eyes stared blankly ahead.

"She drowned," Brightpaw said. Her throat felt like sand. She dully nodded to her outstretched and bloody paws. "Look. She must've gotten caught under something."

"We're too late," Hawkpaw growled. He tilted his head back and let out a mournful yowl, eyes squeezed shut. Graypaw slumped closer to the ground, his chin soaked by the cold waves that had taken his sister's life.

* * *

"StarClan, how could you?" Fallingfeather screeched as she draped herself across Flowerpaw's body. "What did my baby do to deserve this?"

Smokestripe moved to sit next to the grieving warrior, pressing their pelts together supportively. "These things happen, Fallingfeather," she murmured into her scruff. "It's not anyone's fault."

"How would you know?" she snapped, eyes blazing. "Your son didn't suffer!"

She winced at the reminder. "Perhaps not, but now neither of them are suffering."

The fight seemed to leave Fallingfeather. She leaned dully on the black she-cat with a shudder. "My baby, my baby," she moaned.

Across from them, Slatestep lifted her head from her dead apprentice's scruff, turning to Alderstar. "Do we know how this happened?"

"She fell in and got stuck," he replied wearily.

"Stuck on what?" she meowed, this time to Berrypaw. "You said the ice was too thin to have been there long."

Honeyflower stood up from the back. "May I say something?"

Alderstar nodded his head in ascent.

The elder warrior made sure to choose her words very carefully. "I don't intend for this to be an accusation, or for any suspicion to be thrown," she started. "But I saw her with Ravenwind last."

Ravenwind, who had been quietly counting how many juniper berries she had, straightened, meeting the tabby head-on. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Flowerpaw was a smart cat," Honeyflower explained calmly. "I know that river. It's not fast enough to drown a cat- not without ice or debris, neither of which could have done it."

"The debris could have washed away."

"You're right. It could." She looked thoughtful. "I was simply curious if Flowerpaw had seemed alarmed when you spoke to her. Was there something going on that could have clouded her judgement and led her to slip in?"

Ravenwind clearly seemed displeased by the sudden attention, shifting her paws. "What cats tell me in private isn't my place to reveal," she meowed finally.

" _Please_ ," Fallingfeather whispered, staring at the medicine cat with such desperation it made Brightpaw want to look away.

The black she-cat glanced at Alderstar hopefully, only to find the leader staring back at her with a quiet intensity. Ravenwind sighed. "She asked to be my apprentice," she meowed begrudgingly. "I told her no."

Brightpaw stared at Ravenwind, floored.  _Flowerpaw wanted to be a medicine cat?_  It'd explain why she tried to avoid regular training so much.  _She could've told me! I would've gone with her to talk to Ravenwind about it!_

Honeyflower sat back down, sniffing derisively. "Maybe she wouldn't have been so certain you'd say yes if you paid your 'paw even the slightest bit of mind," she grunted.

"I don't need advice from a cat with one paw in StarClan," Ravenwind snapped, before stomping into the medicine den. Brightpaw collected the juniper berries and followed. Duskspring slept in his nest, completely unaware. She could hear his chest rattle with every breath. "Rancid-smelling dung-eater."

Brightpaw blinked at her, surprised by the viciousness in her voice. She sounded far more angry than when she'd confronted Alderstar. "Honeyflower doesn't like you very much, does she?"

"No," said Ravenwind curtly, taking the berries from her. She set them back in their hole with little regard, undoubtedly smashing a few from the drop. "You ever notice how she limps around at the end of the day? Her joints are getting bad. But she's refused to even consider asking me for poppy seeds. It's going to get her killed."

"Why?" Brightpaw ventured, and immediately knew she'd gone too far when Ravenwind tensed. "Never mind, I mean-"

"It's fine." Her voice was flat and dead. "Honeyflower and I share a father."

She tilted her head to the side. "...I thought she was older than you?"

"Different litters." Something like amusement crept into her eyes as she went on. "He passed not long after I was born. Honeyflower never quite forgave me for it." Ravenwind turned around, nosing her forehead. "Hey, I'm sorry about ignoring you. I know you just want to help. Why don't you swing by in the morning, and I'll give you some herbs to memorize? That way, you can hunt  _and_  heal."

"Sounds good," she meowed without any real enthusiasm, dampened by Flowerpaw's death. "Ravenwind, why didn't you say yes to Flowerpaw? She could be a great medicine cat. And she had a strong immune system, too, so you wouldn't have to worry as much!"

"Nonsense," Ravenwind sniffed. That eerie light in her eyes was back. "I've found my replacement, Brightpaw. You."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel pretty bad about killing Flowerpaw off with all of like two bits of dialogue, but it wouldn't have fit into the storyline any other way. Originally, I'd planned on having her body stay frozen for the entire Leaf-bare and getting found when it got warmer, but there's no way they wouldn't have found it before then.
> 
> On the bright side (pun not intended), we're learning more and more about Ravenwind's backstory!
> 
> -Mandaree1


	9. Highstones

"Brightpaw," Ravenwind hissed into the apprentices' den. "Brightpaw, get your tail out here. We need to talk."

Brightpaw bared her fangs in a yawn, ears flipping back. Something heavy shifted along her back as she sluggishly lifted her head, blinking away dreams of plentiful prey. Next came her legs, once tucked warmly under her, stretching out into the chilly air. A look to the side told her that the heavy thing on her back was actually Hawkpaw's arm, the gray tabby having fallen asleep pressed closely to her. Brightpaw purred as she bent down to lick his cheek, thankful to have a denmate willing to share body heat in the cold of Leaf-bare.

"Brightpaw!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

Brightpaw stumbled out of the den with another yawn, smacking her lips. The sun had only just started to rise; she doubted even the dawn patrols had gotten far into the territory yet.  _What kind of medicine cat gets up this early?_  She dipped her head to her mentor. "Good morning, Ravenwind."

"Good morning," she meowed back, nudging a small bundle closer. "Eat these. We have a busy day ahead of us."

Brightpaw bent down to sniff at it. "Traveling herbs?" she guessed.

She flicked her tail dismissively. "It's the night of the half-moon," Ravenwind reminded her. "It's time to meet the other medicine cats."

"Seriously?" Her ears pricked. "But I've been your 'paw for more than a moon now. Why now?"

"I didn't want to go to the Highstones with Duskspring sick, but I can't stay away forever."

"Oh."

The black molly nudged the bundle closer. "Eat."

She reluctantly swallowed them, cleaning the bitter flavor off her lips. Brightpaw glanced behind herself, wondering if she should tell one of the other 'paws where she was going, but Ravenwind persistently nudged her towards the entrance.  _I guess it makes sense that they'd take their journeys another day._

Brightpaw struggled to keep up with Ravenwind. The medicine cat, far more skilled at handling snow, made her way across the territory with neat little hops, leaving her to stumble behind her. Together, they made their way down to the Thunderpath, following it up towards Highstones. Monsters passed, spraying slush across their pelts. Brightpaw held back the urge to gag.

Ravenwind led her across the Thunderpath and into WindClan territory, following the ridge line once again. Brightpaw's heart quickened as she caught the peaty, wind-blown smells of the Clan that ended her father's life before she was even born. Due to snowstorms and clouds, she'd yet to go to any Gatherings, but she'd heard so much about the Clan it felt a little like she had every hill and blade of grass memorized.

"Ravenwind!" A joyful voice yowled. The ShadowClan medicine cats came to a halt. Brightpaw watched uncertainly as a tall, bushy-furred gray tom slowly came padding up to them. Beside him walked a sleek ginger tom. "How's the prey running?"

"Very well, Bristlepelt," Ravenwind meowed, but Brightpaw thought she caught something disdainful in her voice. "And you?"

"More of the same!" Bristlepelt laughed, then gestured to the ginger tom. "You remember Sparrowpaw?"

A thin black tail flicked across her shoulder. "This is Brightpaw. She's one of Birchpaw's kits."

"My mom is Smokestripe," Brightpaw added awkwardly, trying to deduce what Ravenwind got out of telling the WindClan medicine cat her father's name.  _Is she trying to guilt him? Why?_

Sparrowpaw moved forward to bump noses with her in a friendly manner. "Nice to meet you, Brightpaw. My parents are both dead, but my brother is the deputy!"

Brightpaw's eyes got wide. "He is? But he must be an apprentice!"

"He's older than me," he explained, purring. "I'll introduce you at the next Gathering, if you'd like."

"We should get going," Ravenwind cut in, grimacing. Bristlepelt chattered on as they moved ever closer to Highstones. Sparrowpaw cheerfully kept pace beside Brightpaw, surprising the she-cat. She hadn't expected this much kindness from the Clan that had hurt her Clanmates so badly.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Sparrowpaw meowed suddenly.

Brightpaw tilted her head away slightly, alarmed. "I guess?"

"It's nothing bad, I promise." The tom's whiskers twitched with amusement. "But, between you and me? I don't want to be a medicine cat. I only asked Bristlepelt to be his apprentice so I could learn basic herbs. I figure I'll switch out in a few moons and become a warrior." He smiled at her, showing off an impressively white set of teeth. "I'll be the best warrior WindClan's ever seen, then. Even better than Sunbird!"

"Isn't that dishonest?" she asked, worried how his Clan would react when he brought this news to them.  _What if they kill him, like they did Birchpaw?_  "I mean, is that even allowed?"

"StarClan didn't seem opposed," he replied steadily, green eyes shining. "And this healing stuff isn't so bad. I actually kind of like it."

Understanding dawned on Brightpaw as Sparrowpaw caught up with Bristlepelt. Maybe StarClan had been fooled, but Bristlepelt hadn't. The gray medicine cat had simply decided to allow his 'paw to realize his love for the craft in his own time.

They crossed the Thunderpath one last time before arrived at Highstones. The gritty soil dug into Brightpaw's pads as they climbed, but she didn't dare mention it out loud, lest she break a rule of some kind. Farther ahead, they met up with a she-cat with milky yellow fur, waiting politely on a rock.

"Hiya, Creampaw!" Bristlepelt called up. "Where's Brownshade?"

"Ill," Creampaw meowed. She had a gentle, quiet voice. Brightpaw caught the odor of ThunderClan on her pelt as they grew closer. "I came in his stead."

Brightpaw pressed closer to Ravenwind.  _I can't imagine coming here all alone!_  But Creampaw seemed very calm and relaxed as she took up a spot by Bristlepelt, conversing with the older medicine cat as if this were an ordinary occurrence.  _Brownshade must get sick a lot._

"This is Mothermouth," Ravenwind meowed finally.

Brightpaw swallowed as she came up to the cave. The gaping chasm made her think of giant jaws. "I can see where it got its name."

"Wait up!" Another cat yelled. They all turned as two elderly cats came puffing up to them. The larger of the two was a fluffy brown molly, followed by a scrawny brown tom with darker brownish-black stripes. They both had frizzy gray muzzles.

Creampaw leaned in close to Brightpaw, seeming to sense her hesitance. "That's Houndface and Hollowtail. They're RiverClan."

"Aren't they both a bit... old?"

She shrugged. "Hollowtail was a warrior first, and Houndface is too stubborn to retire so he can train a 'paw of his own."

"Oooh, a new one!" Houndface said, flinging a paw around Brightpaw. The apprentice allowed her to plant a big lick across her forehead. The molly sighed. "It seems like just yesterday that Ravenwind was a 'paw herself."

Ravenwind's tail-tip flicked with agitation. "We should head inside."

Inside, Mothermouth was cold to the touch. The air was stale, with tinges of dust and stone. Sparrowpaw's breath warmed her hindquarters as she followed Ravenwind into the darkness. Panic fluttered in Brightpaw's chest, but she forced herself to keep padding on.  _How can I go back to ShadowClan if I don't?_ The cavern spread open suddenly, leaving Brightpaw scrambling not to fall on her face. Fresh air hit her like a wave as she groped around to find her mentor, crouching down beside her. The other medicine cats settled in to wait. The only noise she could make out was the occasional shuffle of paws.

Suddenly, the clouds above began to part. Moonlight struck the Moonstone. Brightpaw watched in awe as Mothermouth became as bright as the sun itself, squinting against the sudden light. It was like opening her eyes as a kit all over again.

"Ravenwind," Hollowtail meowed. "It's your time."

The black molly looked at him, confused, before standing and padding up to the Moonstone. She turned and sat down, tail wrapping around her paws. "Brightpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?"

 _My ceremony!_  She'd completely forgotten. "I do!" she yelped, trembling with excitement.

"Then come forward," she replied. "Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will." Ravenwind waved her tail towards the Moonstone. "Press your nose against it, Brightpaw."

She did so. The world turned dark almost immediately.

* * *

_The warmth of Greenleaf sunk into Brightpaw's pelt as she opened her eyes. Above, the sky was beginning to grow dark and murky, flecked with fireflies. The clearing was empty, save for a dark brown tom she didn't recognize._

_"Hello?" she meowed. He didn't respond. "Is this... a memory?"_

_"Sootstar!" A dark tabby tom meowed, jogging up from the warriors' den. "Have you heard from the patrols?"_

_Sootstar slowly shook his head. "No one's seen Nightclaw today," the dark brown tom rasped. "If what you said was true, Alderflame, then he might not return."_

_Alderflame sat next to his leader, not knowing that one day he would assume the role, and stared long and hard at the empty camp. "I don't like to gossip, Sootstar. Just because Nightclaw may have gone near the Twolegplace doesn't mean he'll stay, or that he even went there," he answered stiffly. "I went towards the Thunderpath to hunt today, but that doesn't mean I'm about to hang out with Twolegs and monsters."_

_Sootstar blinked at Brightpaw's grandfather affectionately. "You're a very loyal warrior, Alderflame. I appreciate that about you."_

_There was a rustling, and then dark shapes burst into the camp. Brightpaw yelped and stepped back. The formless creatures swarmed around Sootstar and Alderflame, whispering things she couldn't quite make out. Finally, last of all, a tall and lean black tom came padding into camp. In his jaws was an equally black kitten._

_"Nightclaw," said Sootstar, surprised. "What is that?"_

_Nightclaw set the kitten down at his paws. It wailed, tiny paws lashing out, before falling almost deathly still. "Can't you tell, Sootstar?" he purred. "This is my daughter."_

_The whispering grew almost deafening. The forms- which Brightpaw was beginning to realize were actually cats- shifted, unsure if they should peer closer or move far, far away._

_Alderflame stood, gathering everyone's attention. His voice was deadly quiet. "There are no expectant queens in ShadowClan right now, Nightclaw. And, even if there was, that kitten is too small to be of ShadowClan blood alone."_

_"Haven't you ever heard of runts?" Nightclaw answered, unimpressed. "I'm thinking of naming her Ravenkit. Isn't it a perfect name for her?"_

Ravenkit? _Brightpaw stared at the kitten, floored. Ravenkit sneezed, cracking her eyes open slightly. They were amber._ It's her. It's Ravenwind.

_"Answer the accusation, Nightclaw," Sootstar growled._

_The black tom let out a long sigh. "Fine. If you must know." Nightclaw nudged Ravenkit closer. "She's half-kittypet. Her mother, Pearl, gave her to me, since she looked the most wild."_

_"A kittypet?" A yellow tabby she-cat pushed through the crowd. Her pelt was dappled with darker gold spots. Brightpaw stared at the molly as she padded up to them, mesmerized by her odd beauty. "I gave you a daughter, and this is what you give me back? A kittypet?"_

_"Leopardpoppy," Nightclaw greeted. "Ravenkit is not your burden to bear. But even you must agree that we're above leaving kits to starve, yes?"_

_Leopard_ _poppy's scruff rose at the condescending tone Nightclaw had taken, but otherwise she had taken on a thoughtful air. She looked out over the crowd, gauging reactions, before finally nodding to herself. "I will accept Ravenkit as my own," she meowed. "But you're dead to me, Nightclaw."_

_The black tom's ears fell. "You can't do that," he protested. "Ravenkit is_ my _daughter."_

_"The daughter of a traitor and a kittypet?" she spat. "Somehow, I imagine it'll do her more good to be raised by me than you."_

_Nightclaw growled. His claws slid out threateningly. "Take it back."_

_Faster than the eye could follow, Leopardpoppy was on him, screeching with fury. Alderflame took a step towards them, only to be cut off by Sootstar, who looked fully aware of the molly's abilities. Brightpaw watched on, horrified, as Leopardpoppy sunk her teeth into Nightclaw's throat. The warrior thrashed, trying desperately to get away, but she held him down regardless of the blows to her shoulders and paws. He fell still with a gurgle._

_"You... you killed him," Alderflame whispered as Leopardpoppy stepped back. "That's against the code!"_

_Leopardpoppy fixed him a cold glare, licking the blood from her lips. "He stopped being protected by the code the moment he decided to slip into the Twolegplace," she said. Sootstar watched without speaking as she collected Ravenkit. Cats parted like water as she walked into the nursery, as if afraid they'd be next. Brightpaw could just hear her whisper as she went. "Your father made a mistake when he had you, kit. But I'll make you a blessing from StarClan."_

_Shaking, Brightpaw sat down, watching as ShadowClan dispersed. Somehow, a warrior had gotten away with murder that day, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. "Why are you showing me this?" she asked the air._

_"Because you need to know the truth."_ _She startled, spinning around. ShadowClan fell away into darkness, and out of that darkness padded Flowerpaw, her pelt glowing with stars. "Now that you know the beginning, you also know the end."_

_Brightpaw jumped at the apprentice, sticking her nose in the molly's fur. "Oh, Flowerpaw. I'm so sorry."_

_Flowerpaw shrugged her off awkwardly. "Not much that can be done now," she grunted. "There's so much you have to learn, Brightpaw, and so much I can't tell you. Not yet. If you panicked here, all that would come out of it is disaster. They'd think you mad." She stepped forward, touching Brightpaw's forehead with her nose. "But know this. You face a greater monster than any dog or badger or fox."_

_The pale ginger 'paw pulled back. She knew she should press further, but she got the feeling that Flowerpaw sincerely couldn't say more. "Why didn't you tell me you wanted to be a medicine cat?"_

_Her eyes misted over. "I thought you'd be mad at me for taking your place," she admitted. "But Ravenwind seemed to ignore you for so long, I thought... I had a chance."_

_"I'm not mad," Brightpaw reassured her. "If you'd told me, I would have helped you."_

_Flowerpaw smiled a little. "You're a nice cat, Brightpaw. Try to stay nice, okay?" She nosed Brightpaw's ear. "I won't blame you if you can't, though. You're many, many things, Brightpaw, but lucky certainly isn't one of them."_

* * *

Brightpaw startled awake with a wince. Her shoulders ached from sleeping in such an awkward position. Her jowls parted in a yawn as she stretched, sprawling on the cool stone. She looked up at the bright moon, then the Moonstone, and finally Ravenwind, still fast asleep.

 _She's half-kittypet._  The knowledge sunk in as she studied her mentor; the small build, the strange kittypet word she'd known, the careful distance she had from her Clanmates- it all drew back to her heritage.  _That's why everyone talks about her so weirdly. They're ashamed of her._  A deep, horrified guilt sunk into Brightpaw's belly at the thought.  _She deserves better than that!_

"Mornin'," Sparrowpaw yawned as he sat up, rubbing at his gunky eyes. "I know we're not supposed to talk about what we see in StarClan, but StarClan's pretty neat, huh? It's so... peaceful."

"Yeah," Brightpaw meowed uncertainly, staring at her paws. _She was yellow, like you, but she had spots instead of stripes_. "Peaceful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, other medicine cats! About dang time lol.
> 
> Fun Fact- Hollowtail is actually a name from another Warriors OC story I'll probably never write. He had a brother and a sister- Burnstar and Huskfrost. But I always really liked the name, so here's an old RiverClan med cat with that name instead. I also really like the prefix of Hound. It was only used once (I believe?) for a leader in Goosefeather's Curse, but it's a weirdly epic name.
> 
> Sparrowpaw and his (later) warrior name is also a reference to an old Warriors OC story- it was about Shadowstar's first medicine cat, named Shadewhisker. Granted, it never got posted online, and there was only two chapters done before I lost interest, and Shadewhisker got forced into the role, but it was one of my first attempts at Warrior OCs, so.
> 
> Writing Ravenwind right now is complicated- we, the readers, know what she's up to, but no one around her is aware of the things she does. So it's working with this surrounding innocence but also making it obviously clear that Ravenwind isn't A GoodTM.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	10. Newleaf

Brightpaw, having spent her entire lifetime in the chill of Leaf-fall and Leaf-bare, found Newleaf to be a bit of a surprise. The typical cool air still clung to her yellow pelt, but the snow had begun to melt, leaving muddy puddles to play in. The warmth had brought more fresh-kill to the pile, which in turn left her Clanmates in much better moods. Even grumpy Badgerthroat had mellowed out a tad, spending her days playing with Maplekit in the clearing while Mossyear caught up on her rest.

But with more food came more paranoia, as Brightpaw soon found. Border patrols tended to come back with ruffled fur and complaints of ThunderClan scent. Alderstar had shrugged it off as the wind blowing smells over the Thunderpath, but not many warriors agreed. She soon found herself on many training practices, battling with her littermates. Today she watched as Berrypaw and Brackenpaw tussled, her brother squishing her sister to the boggy dirt.

"He's good at that," Hawkpaw meowed. The black and gray apprentice had decided to sit with her while Graypaw and Flamepaw practiced their front swipes together. "Maybe he could sit on the leaders until everyone surrenders!"

"It sure would be one way to end this," Brightpaw replied, tilting her head to the side. Unlike Brackenpaw, who was becoming taller and broader by the day, she had stayed scrawny and awkward. "I guess that's another plus to being a medicine cat. I won't ever have to worry about getting squished!"

Hawkpaw laughed, but it sounded a bit off. He scooched away slightly, pressing his tail close to his side. "Yeah."

Her ears flattened, looking away. The air had turned tense fast.  _Does Hawkpaw wish I was a warrior?_  It would make sense. They couldn't be as close as they would be as fellow warriors. Her duty to the Clan would always keep a wall between them. Brightpaw hesitantly licked his shoulder. "I could use some extra lessons. You never know when some uppity cat will try to fight me."

Hawkpaw's edginess melted away. He smiled at her warmly. "I'd be honored to be your tutor."

Brackenpaw padded up to them with his eyes shining and tail high. Berrypaw slunk behind him, sticking her tongue out. "Didja see me?"

"I did," she purred. Brackenpaw's mentor, Fallingfeather, had spent a lot of time mourning for Flowerpaw, sleeping into the afternoon, leaving her apprentice to find praise where he could get it. Brightpaw understood how lost that could make someone feel, and tried to support him. "Cats will know to run when they see your pelt!"

Briarspots came around to Berrypaw's side, nudging her shoulder. "You did pretty good yourself. But next time, you should try harder to slip out from under Brackenpaw, instead of going for brute force."

Berrypaw dipped her head, happily plopping down next to Brackenpaw to clean the dust out of her fur. "You hear that? It's only a matter of time before I squish you."

"If your dreams," he snorted.

Addershine nodded to Brightpaw. "Your turn to show us your stuff, kiddo."

She stood and walked towards the center of the clearing. Close behind was Brackenpaw, still high off his earlier victory.  _Arrogant fuzzball_ , she thought affectionately.  _Your pride's gonna be your downfall._  "Is there anything in particular we should focus on?"

"Just do what feels natural," Briarspots replied, waving his tail. "And keep those claws tucked away. The _last_  thing we need is Ravenwind pitching fits."

Brightpaw crouched, slowly circling around Brackenpaw. She noticed Mossyear and Newtfrost out of the corner of her eye, Rainpaw and Barkpaw close behind, but ignored them. Rainpaw grabbed Flamepaw by the ear and padded into some shrubbery, whilst Barkpaw congratulated Graypaw on his progress.

"He's  _alright_ , I guess," sighed Leafleg, having overheard.

"I don't really care what you think of him," Barkpaw sniffed, stepping in front of the smaller apprentice. "Everyone knows you're a terrible mentor, and Addershine is the one doing all the  _real_  teaching."

"Let's not fight, kids," the yellow tom broke in distractedly. "Brightpaw and Brackenpaw are about to duel."

Brackenpaw took that as his cue and pounced. Brightpaw darted away, bushing her pelt out to seem more intimidating than she actually was.  _I can't overpower him- I have to outrun him!_  The dark tabby went after her, biting down on her tail to slow her down. Brightpaw let out a yelp and fell, rolling onto her back. Brackenpaw tried to hop on top of her like he had Berrypaw, but she slammed her back paw into his jaw, sending him stumbling back.

Brightpaw leapt onto Brackenpaw's back, scrambling for purchase without her claws. He reared back, shaking her off. Brightpaw hit the ground and felt the air be knocked out of her. Teeth sunk into her back paw, dragging her. She struck out, jabbing his eye. Brackenpaw let go with her paw with a yowl.

"Enough!" Newtfrost cried. Brightpaw and Brackenpaw froze, worried they'd broken some rule, but the calico tom looked more displeased with himself than anyone else. "We need to borrow the training hollow for a bit. You all gotta clear out."

"We're on our final assessment!" Barkpaw chirped. Graypaw touched the black and white tom's ear with his nose as a congratulations. Brightpaw opened her mouth to ask (wasn't it a bit  _early_  for that?), but Mossyear gave her a stiff glare. The gray she-cat's stomach still hung low from her kitting, and she looked more than a little unhappy to be away from camp.

"Good for you two," Briarspots meowed. "Why don't we all split into hunting groups, then? If they've completed their hunting assessment, of course."

"We have." Rainpaw was padding out of the shrubs, Flamepaw's tail wrapped around her own. Brightpaw had never seen her brother so ecstatic before; an odd feat, seeing how Flamepaw was the second-happiest of her siblings, only beaten by Berrypaw. "We snagged some rats from the Carrionplace."

Hawkpaw brushed up against her as the warriors chatted. "You did great out there," he meowed. "You could be a pretty good warrior, you know."

"Maybe," she said, feeling a bit disappointed. She knew it was only because of Ravenwind's neglect that she spent so much time on fighting and hunting with the other apprentices, rather than memorizing, but she found she enjoyed it a lot. "But I'm a medicine cat, and that's that."

"You'll be a great medicine cat," Hawkpaw meowed immediately, but she saw something somber flash in his eyes as they padded away together.

"And  _you'll_  be a great warrior," she responded, meaning every word.

* * *

"I'm pretty sure Barkpaw is padding after Graypaw," Berrypaw meowed as Brightpaw chewed a bite of their shared starling. "They'd be a cute couple, wouldn't they? They could hang out and play with the kits all day."

Brightpaw swallowed. "You really have a thing for this, don't you?" she asked. "Crushes, I mean."

She shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "I like it when my friends and kin are happy. If they find cats they wanna be extra super duper happy with, then what's not to love about that?"

"Do  _you_  want a mate someday?"

Berrypaw shrugged again. "No one in ShadowClan's caught my eye." The black molly leaned over. "Between you and me, I'm  _pretty_  sure Hawkpaw wants to pad after you."

"That's... sweet of him," Brightpaw meowed awkwardly, feeling herself grow warm. "But it wouldn't work, even if it  _did_  evolve into that sort of thing. I'm a medicine cat."

"You're more warrior than medicine cat," she pointed out, whiskers twitching. "I won't tell if you won't."

Brightpaw stared at her paws, unsure. Berrypaw watched her a moment longer, then bent over and gulped down the rest of their starling, realizing she'd overstepped a line.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet me at the Clanrock for a Clan meeting!"

Cats started slipping into the clearing. First and foremost came Rainpaw, Barkpaw, Newtfrost, and Mossyear, who all sat in their designated places. Slatestep escorted Fallingfeather out of the nursery; the black molly spent a lot of time there, and rumors said she was planning on retiring into it once Brackenpaw was made a warrior. Graypaw ducked his head as he approached Addershine, the yellow tom laving a lick between his ears. Smokestripe and Stonebreeze were crouched near each other, with Honeyflower coming up after them. Briarspots sprawled out next to the apprentices, all sitting in a slapdash herd. Badgerthroat, Flowerstrike, and Skyberry sat in a neat little row, Maplekit playing with Flowerstrike's tail. Leafleg sat by himself, watching Alderstar with a blank look.

" _There_  you are." Ravenwind stomped over with a frustrated twitch of the tail. "Where have you been?"

Brightpaw flinched back. "Training?"

The medicine cat rolled her eyes. "I know that learning how to fight is important, but you just left with no warning!" she scolded. "I was worried you'd fallen into the river!"

 _I've always followed the other 'paws_ , she thought rebelliously, but didn't dare say. "Sorry, ma'am."

Ravenwind's face softened a little. She sighed. "I know you're worried about Hawkpaw," she meowed. "It's sweet of you. But you don't need to be- look."

She gestured with her tail. To Brightpaw's surprise, Duskspring was sitting at Alderstar's paws; a little weak from his Greencough, but his pelt was sleek and thick. "He's okay to go back to his duties?"

She nodded. "And so are you. Come sit with me?"

Brightpaw glanced at the other apprentices. Hawkpaw caught her eye and stood, waving to a free spot next to him with his tail.  _I'm a medicine cat. It's time I started acting like it_. She nodded to her friend before following Ravenwind. Her mentor's no-nonsense air dampened her excitement for her friends.

"Barkpaw and Rainpaw," Alderstar rumbled, eyeing them. "Your mother, Puddle, was a rogue. There were some who thought us unwise to take her in. There were some who believed your blood would make you weaker. But you've proven them wrong time and time again, and any frog-brain who thinks otherwise will recieve the full fury of ShadowClan's might. Mossyear, is Barkpaw ready to be a warrior?"

Mossyear nodded. "He is, Alderstar."

"And Newtfrost? Is Rainpaw ready to be made a warrior?"

Newtfrost tilted his chin up slightly as he regarded the blue molly. "Anyone who thinks otherwise will face a set of claws as sharp as they are tactile."

"It's a yes or no question," Duskspring meowed, but his voice was so raspy Brightpaw doubted anyone else heard.

Alderstar's voice grew louder. "I, Alderstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you in turn. Barkpaw, Rainpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Barkpaw meowed.

Rainpaw's ears were flat, but the sharp pride in her eyes was enough to convince most anyone of her sincerity. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Barkpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Barkfall. StarClan honors your charisma and sense of community, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Barkfall jumped with glee as he met up with Alderstar, getting nosed and licking the old tom's shoulder.

"Rainpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Rainblaze. StarClan honors your strength and ferocity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

The blue she-cat confidently padded up to him. Rainblaze turned to meet Flamepaw's eye before licking Alderstar's shoulder, as if reassuring herself of something.

"Barkfall! Rainblaze! Barkfall! Rainblaze!" ShadowClan chanted.

"Ravenwind?" Brightpaw prompted, watching the gathered group begin to scatter. "Why were they made warriors so young?"

"Hmm? Oh, that." Ravenwind didn't sound very concerned. "I brought the idea up to Alderstar, and he agreed. After all; new season, new warriors. It makes us look as strong as we actually are."

"But what if they're not ready for it?"

"Newtfrost and Mossyear seem to think they are," she meowed firmly. "Trust in your Clanmates to know what's right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats to Barkfall and Rainblaze! Have some mild angst between Hawkpaw and Brightpaw lol.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	11. Shhh

"Little lower," growled Skyberry, her eyes fluttering shut with pleasure as Brightpaw pressed the mouse bile against the tick in her shoulder. "Ahhh, there we go. Kill that nasty bug for me, will you, dear?"

"That's why I'm here, ma'am," Brightpaw meowed politely around the stick the bile-infused moss hung from. "Brackenpaw, you check Flowerstrike. It's easier to de-tick when I know where to aim."

Brackenpaw sniffed dubiously. His claws were clogged with the old moss he'd been collecting into a ball. " _Fine_ ," he grumbled, padding over to nose the elder's strange pelt. "Shouldn't Flamepaw be helping us?"

Flowerstrike let our a  _mrrow_  of laughter. "I think two apprentices are more'n enough for two elders, kiddo."

"Oh, I dunno." Skyberry tipped her head to the side, her eyes still closed. "I think we might have another set of paws very soon."

Something sharp fastened into Brightpaw's tail. The medicine cat let out a screech- more out of shock than any pain- and jumped, falling onto the silver and white tabby and squishing the gross moss between their pelts.

"Hello, Maplekit," Flowerstrike meowed plainly. "Nice weather we're having, ey?"

Brightpaw skittered off Skyberry, muttering so many apologies they became mush in her mouth. She turned, pelt fluffing up, on Maplekit; whom, despite only being a kitten, was already above her chest level. Maplekit was turning out to be all long legs and broad shoulders, giving off the appearance of being older than she actually was. "Careful! I could've squished poor Skyberry!"

"Oh, you did, dear," Skyberry purred. "But I don't mind. It's nice to have things so lively in here."

Maplekit's eyes glowed with excitement as she took in the gathered moss and tick repellent. "Can I help? I bet I could find the most moss!"

"You won't be finding any moss," Brackenpaw said sternly, scraping the scattered scraps back together. "You can't leave camp."

"Uuuuuugggghhhhh," the tortoiseshell groaned, flopping back on her haunches in a pout. "It's not fair! I'm almost as big as any apprentice."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," Brightpaw warned, looking over her stained pelt with a grimace. "Washing this out is going to suck."

Flowerstrike perked up. "Maplekit, would you be a dear and get some wet moss from Ravenwind?" he meowed gently. "Skyberry's too old to go rolling in the river."

Maplekit was already half out of the den. "Sure!"

Brightpaw resisted the urge to say she'd do it, biting her lip. She didn't know why, but she didn't feel comfortable with her mentor being around Maplekit.  _I don't know why. She was perfectly nice to me when I was a kit._  The vague memory of StarClan's smiting clawed at her. She shook it off.  _I'm just overreacting._  "Skyberry, Flowerstrike, can I ask you about something?"

Skyberry cracked an eye. "What's up?"

She lowered her ears slightly, already feeling ashamed, though she didn't know why. "Did you know... Leopardpoppy?"

There was an immediate effect on the two old cats. Skyberry let out a long, sorrowful sigh, while Flowerstrike bared his front teeth, eyes narrowed. It was the molly who responded. "Has some youngster been talking smack to you at the Gathering?"

"No, ma'am. I just... heard it somewhere."

Brackenpaw spat out some dry dirt. "Who's that?"

"Ravenwind's mom," Skyberry answered.

" _Adopted_  mom," Flowerstrike added. "I should note that I don't say that to mean that she was any less of a mom to Ravenwind. She was. But the other Clans are bound to talk 'bout Nightclaw's transgression, so it's only fair you know."

Brackenpaw had ditched any attempt at looking busy now, sitting down next to Brightpaw. "Transgression?"

"Ravenwind's half-kittypet, isn't she?" Brightpaw asked, green eyes burning into Flowerstrike's white-spotted pelt. Her dream had made it pretty clear, but somehow it felt more real now, speaking to a living cat.

He nodded. "Eyup. The other Clans have never let her forget it, neither."

Her brother's ears had fallen flat at the news, eyes wide. "How can someone with kittypet blood commune with StarClan?" he asked, sounding anxious. "Is that why StarClan's mad at us?"

Skyberry shrugged. "StarClan calls who it calls. It chose Ravenwind. If it was angry with us because of her, it would've been angry seasons ago."

"I got it!" Maplekit cheered, breaking effortlessly into the somber moment. Despite her size, the tortoiseshell was forced to waddle around the sheer amount of wet moss in her jaws. Brightpaw got the impression Ravenwind had given her as much as she could, simply to make her go away. "Did I do good?"

"You did great!" Skyberry meowed. The elder sprawled herself out on her side. "Why don't you help me, hmm? The smell is starting to give me a headache."

"Sorry again, ma'am."

"Not your fault, young'un. Not your fault."

Maplekit set the wet moss on her side without delay, then turned to the two apprentices. "I saw Flamepaw leave Alderstar's den," she meowed in a hush, eyes darting around. "Is he in trouble?"

Brightpaw exchanged a look with Brackenpaw.  _Alderstar?_  "What would grandpa want with Flamepaw?"

"Why not go ask?" Flowerstrike suggested, nudging the tom's haunches. "We won't be going anywhere."

Brackenpaw fixed him an uncertain look. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"He's a bit of a gossip," Skyberry told them, eyes twinkling. "He'll drive himself mad if he doesn't know what's up."

Brightpaw and Brackenpaw slipped out of the elders' den. Flamepaw had stomped out of camp in a huff, or so Slatestep told them as she passed, her jaws clamped around a sparrow. Together, the two apprentices followed his scent into the territory beyond. Newleaf had left the ground muggy and slushy as they padded through it, their paws getting more and more dirty by the step. Hunting had become easier as the moons dragged on, but warriors left ShadowClan pristine and returned without more mud than fur.

"It's not fair!" Flamepaw grumbled as they neared. Brightpaw and Brackenpaw found him sitting in a relatively dry clearing, shaded by the pine trees. Across from him sat Rainblaze, listening patiently. "Grandpa said I was too young for my name!"

"You  _are_  too young," she pointed out. "Technically speaking, I shouldn't even have mine, and I became a 'paw when you were still a kit."

He sighed, resting his head against her burly chest. "I need my name. How can they respect me without it?"

"That's fluff-brained," Rainblaze meowed bluntly. "Are you saying you didn't respect Smokestripe when she was a 'paw?"

"Of course not! She's my mom!"

"There you are. All they'll care about is that you're there, and you're loving, and you're a great tom." The blue molly nosed his forehead. "Nervous?"

"A little," Flamepaw admitted sheepishly. "But mostly excited. I... hope you're the same way?"

"Absolutely. Why wouldn't I be?" Rainblaze puffed her chest out. "It's better for our litter to come now anyway. We can raise them and still have plenty of moons to patrol and hunt for our Clan."

Surprise tingled from Brightpaw's ears to her tail.  _Flamepaw's gonna be a father!_  Suddenly, Rainblaze pulling Flamepaw to the side during their final assessment made sense.  _She must've told him then!_

Brackenpaw, shocked, slipped on some mud, falling flat on his side. Brightpaw crouched closer to the ground, wary of being spotted.

"Did you hear something?" Flamepaw asked.

"Sniff the air," Rainblaze replied. "It had to have been a mouse."

He did so, then gagged. "Ulgh, that's awful. Why can't mice have a dirtplace like we do?"

Brightpaw looked at the mouse bile stain on her pelt, burning up with embarrassment. She nudged Brackenpaw to his paws and frantically gestured for him to get a move on. He awkwardly led the way, half his body glistening with mud. A quiet understanding passed between them as they turned towards the nearest river, rolling in the chilly water to get clean.

"Brightpaw?" Brackenpaw meowed finally. "I'm sorry about what I said. About Ravenwind."

"Ravenwind?" she echoed. "Oh, the kittypet thing. It didn't bother me. I was a little worried myself when I first found out."

"It just sunk in," he said. "Rainblaze is all rogue, right? So that means their kits will be half-rogue. I can't imagine loving or respecting them less because of that. Well, I mean, I can't imagine loving and respecting them at all- they're not even born yet." He paused, eyes growing misty as he thought of the coming tiny bundles of fur. "Okay, that was a lie. I already love them to bits."

Brightpaw laughed, nudging Brackenpaw as they climbed out of the water. "You really like kits, huh? Maybe you'll have your own one day."

"I sure hope so," he told her, tail curling. "Someday."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaay for secret/surprise news! Flamepaw kind of followed in Smokestripe's pawsteps lol. I went from no real enthusiasm for writing to All the Enthusiasm and wrote this chapter in like two hours last night asdkdmcolcdocudhc.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	12. Leap of Faith

Duskspring's recovery proved to be temporary. The gray tom worked hard to make up for lost time in the medicine den, pushing himself more and more, until finally he had to return once again, sick and weak. Watching their deputy deteriorate hadn't done much for ShadowClan's overall mood; cats slunk around camp with their heads low, as if expecting to be reprimanded for not being clear on what patrol they were on. Alderstar took over for Duskspring, but no one could deny that the leader was getting slower and slower in his old age. A new deputy needed to be picked, and soon.

Worst effected of all was Hawkpaw. The apprentice and his brother were nearing their final assessment, but with his mentor ill for most of said apprenticeship, Hawkpaw's learning had been slapdash as best. Brightpaw spent numerous nights helping her friend practice whatever he needed. There was little she could do during the day; Ravenwind's earlier neglect seemed almost like a fever dream now. The medicine cat watched her every moment, shoving more herb names into Brightpaw's head than she could handle.

Not all, thankfully, was sad and dour. Maplepaw stood quite proudly by Smokestripe's side as she returned to camp every night, holding fresh-kill or scratches from battle training. She was almost always smiling.

 _It's not just Hawkpaw_ , Brightpaw realized one day, flicking away a buzzing fly. Rainblaze and Flamepaw were talking quietly across camp, tails intertwined. The blue molly's belly had begun to grow with their litter. _Brackenpaw, Flamepaw, and Berrypaw are close to being made warriors too._

Ravenwind noticed where she was looking and sprawled out beside her. "Growing up is always so sudden, isn't it?"

Brightpaw swallowed. "Yes, ma'am."

"No more ma'ams. You're practically an adult yourself." The black she-cat's tail twitched into a sort of question mark shape as she examined her 'paw. "You're very strong. Must have been all that battle training."

She looked herself over. Brightpaw was still spindly and awkward to look at, with long legs and big ears, but there was no doubting that what meat she did have on her bones was almost all muscle. She wasn't Maplepaw by any means, but she  _was_  solid. "Thanks?"

"It's a good thing. ShadowClan is as much a Clan of strength as it is wits." Ravenwind stretched herself out. "Speaking of such, I'm going on a little secret excursion tomorrow. It's not _technically_  allowed, but it's important I go." She fixed her with that fiery stare that never failed to make Brightpaw vaguely uncomfortable. "Will you join me?"

Brightpaw shifted onto her other side, putting a little more space between them. "What kind of technically not allowed?"

"That late frost ruined our catmint supply," she explained with a shrug. "But Bristlepelt told me all about a nice batch he's got. Plenty to spare, really. So I thought I'd slip over and snag a few."

She hesitated. "Isn't that... against the warrior code?  _And_  the medicine cat code?"

"Bristlepelt and I have an understanding," Ravenwind meowed. "He doesn't mind sharing in the warm moons if I share in the colder ones. No Clan is struck harder in Leaf-bare than WindClan, after all. I hate to cross borders like some rogue, but Duskspring needs the catmint to get better." The black she-cat nodded to Rainblaze, crunching through a mouse. "Greencough hits the queens and kits as hard as it does the elders, you know."

Worry flowed through Brightpaw at the insinuation, claws digging into the crumbly dirt. Rainblaze was young and strong, but the kits would be too feeble to fight it. Her little nephews and nieces, left to such a horrible fate? Brightpaw couldn't even consider it. "Okay, Ravenwind. I'm in."

Ravenwind's amber eyes lit up with joy. "You're going to be an amazing medicine cat, Brightpaw. I just know it."

* * *

The sun had yet to rise when Ravenwind nudged her awake, urging her to fill her belly before the other cats got to the pile. Brightpaw felt a bit bad about grabbing an extra vole, but slipping all the way to WindClan and back was no easy feat; it was going to be a long day, with no hunting breaks.

To her surprise, the medicine didn't seem to be in a big rush. She waited until Alderstar assigned patrols before getting to her paws with a long sigh. "This is the hardest part of my job," she mused, gesturing to her to follow. "Let's collect our escort and head out."

Brightpaw blinked at her. "Escort?"

"Of course," Ravenwind replied. " _You_  might be fit for a scuffle, but I'm getting gray in the muzzle. Besides. If Leafleg wants to be deputy so badly, I say it's about time I got to know him a little better."

Brightpaw's heart began to sank as they padded out of camp. Stealing some catmint was a horrible thing in and of itself- but she could rise to the occasion, to protect her Clanmates. She remembered, all too clearly, the horrible things Ravenwind had said about Leafleg when she was a kit.  _What if she tries to provoke him into starting a battle?_

Leafleg was lounging on some sunny stones when they found him, snoring loud enough to scare away prey. Ravenwind studied him a moment, taking in his lackadaisical features, before finally snatching a loose branch with her jaw and jabbing his side with it.

He idly batted it away, eyes opening. "Wassat?"

"I hope we're not interrupting any important training," she said dryly, kicking the stick aside.

Leafleg sat down to scratch his chin. "Addershine grabbed the little twerp before I even got up," he admitted. "What's up?"

Ravenwind glanced around to make sure they were alone, lowering her voice. "Alderstar has asked us to go on a little mission. A special, secret mission."

 _Mission?_  Brightpaw stared at her mentor, baffled. If her grandfather  _had_  asked Ravenwind to go, why had she made a big deal about breaking the rules the night before?

The warrior perked up, eyes gleaming. "A mission, huh?"

"We must retrieve some catmint from WindClan." Ravenwind nodded solemnly. "I was hoping a young, strapping lad such at yourself could help these feeble old bones across the Thunderpath a few times. What do you say?"

_She sounds like a queen convincing a kit they're fighting an army when they bat at grass blades._

Regardless, Leafleg seemed sold, eagerly surging forward to stand next to Ravenwind, chest puffed out. "It'd be an honor."

They went further up the territory first, crossing into Fourtrees. They pauses to allow Leafleg the chance to snag a finch. Ravenwind watched him eat with a strange intensity that Brightpaw chalked up to her hating to wait. The trio moved on, eventually hitting the rolling moorlands Brightpaw got to see when they went for their half-moon Gathering. They were much different in the daytime. The tall grasses swayed under the breeze like water, heavy with splotches of purple from the heather. Brightpaw could make out rabbits in the distance, but they could see her as well, watching warily with one eye as they slowly hopped towards their borrows.

"It really is disgusting, isn't it?" Leafleg meowed, staring out over the land. "Cats weren't made to live like this."

"They're odd," replied Ravenwind, breaking into a brisk trot. "Come'on, now. The sooner we get going, the sooner we can leave."

WindClan proved to be almost featureless to the eye. Yellow and green grass stretched as far as the sky, littered with rabbit holes, but otherwise all was still. Ravenwind gestured to a large, smooth stone in the distance, proclaiming it to be Outlook Rock. She wasn't certain why it was special enough to get a name, but she did know that Bristlepelt seemed oddly fond of it.

They kept moving until the sounds of rushing water made it almost impossible to think, then went on some more. The land cut away sharply, giving way to rocks and water below. Brightpaw didn't think even a Twoleg could survive swimming in the churning waves.

"This is the gorge," Ravenwind explained, her voice rendered almost to a whisper over the noise. "It borders RiverClan. Catmint enjoys a steady source of water."

Sure enough, they soon found an area filled almost to the brim with catmint. Brightpaw struggled to keep her awe in check, not wanting to seem too childish. "I don't think I've ever seen so much in my life."

The medicine cat grunted. "We're lucky. The gorge is a gift and a curse for WindClan. It keeps the catmint well stocked, but too much rain or a big enough wave can destroy it in a heartbeat. Brightpaw, you take the far end. I don't want you slipping in."

Brightpaw dipped her head, knowing it was useless to argue that she would be careful, and got to work.

"Alderstar's  _bound_  to make me deputy after this!" exclaimed Leafleg, between pulling up plants in an unnecessarily rough manner. "A secret mission!"

"Anything is possible." Ravenwind pushed all the loose leaves into a pile, then looked for a grass blade to tie them up with. "Tell me, Leafleg. Why do you think you've earned the role? You've barely had done anything for Graypaw. You ran from a battle instead of protecting your injured Clanmates. You blindly followed me into enemy territory on the whim of another because the word mission was attached to it. How does any of that make you a good candidate?"

Leafleg stiffened. "It's not really a mission?" The shock in his voice made Brightpaw feel bad for him.  _Even after all this time, he still doesn't know how Ravenwind works._  "I... I broke the code?"

Ravenwind straightened to her full (and rather meager) height, tail straight. "Answer me, Leafleg."

"I could be a great deputy! A great leader! They'd remember the name Leafstar for seasons!" he hissed, shoving his muzzle in her face. "You just wait. Then you'll see."

"I'd rather not," Ravenwind rumbled.

Brightpaw waited for a response while she finished tying her bundle, but none came.  _Leafleg must be too angry to speak._  She turned to tell Ravenwind she was done, only to find the medicine cat alone at the edge of the gorge. "Where'd he go?"

"I smell WindClan cats coming," she meowed in lieu of a proper response. "Let's go, before we get in trouble."

* * *

They didn't speak the whole way home. Brightpaw itched with questions, hating the catmint that prohibited her to speak. A small, niggling thought wouldn't quite leave her be, and she wanted to dispel it in any way possible. _It can't be. She wouldn't. Would she?_ No one in camp seemed too perturbed about their lengthy absence. Brightpaw waved her tail in a cheerful greeting as she followed Ravenwind into her den, ignoring the tsunami building in her mind.  _Just because she didn't like him doesn't mean..._

(It would occur to her, later, that she'd used past tense; the fact of it was, she'd known from the moment she looked back.)

They were in the middle of sorting the loot into proper piles when Graypaw poked his head in, sheepishly holding a leaf in his jowls.

"Can't find Leafleg?" Brightpaw asked. She must've sounded normal, because the apprentice didn't question her keenness- Brightpaw had always been terrible at guessing these things. "He's-"

"Hard to say," Ravenwind interrupted gently, without looking up from her work. "Brightpaw and I have been herb-hunting all day. You know how Leafleg gets about plants. Asking him to help is like asking a badger to hunt with you."

Graypaw dipped his head in silent thanks and crawled out.

Brightpaw stared at her, floored. _We were_ with him _all day!_

"What?" Her tail kinked. "I wasn't about to tell him we were in enemy territory. Poor thing is so sensitive- he'd be worried sick."

Understanding clicked in her mind. The sandy yellow molly slowly turned away from Ravenwind, bending over the catmint with a glassy stare. She'd known Ravenwind all her life, she reflected. The medicine cat had brought her into the world. Had attempted to comfort her with Darkkit died. Had shared a small part of her past with her. Brightpaw thought she'd had a good grasp of her motives and moods by now.

But it made sense. Why else would Flowerpaw show her the night Ravenwind came to ShadowClan, and the brutal murder of Nightclaw, if it didn't relate to her death in some way? Brightpaw had no prophecies to her name- and, as far as she knew, neither did Ravenwind.

_Stars help me. I'm two whisker-lengths away from a murderer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice deductive thinking there, Brightpaw.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	13. Oh, Happy Day

Smokestripe carefully smoothed out Brightpaw's back fur with her tongue while she did the same to her arm. The molly was too old for her mother to be cleaning her for ceremonies, she knew, but she wanted to look her best for Hawkpaw and Graypaw.  _They trained their hardest for today. It's only fair I make the effort._

The past few days had been hectic on Brightpaw's mind. Alderstar had been quick to send out search patrols, but not even a sniff of Leafleg had come to them. The medicine cat had yearned to say something, but she didn't think it would go over very well to tell her grandfather and Clan that her mentor may be a murderer. It didn't help that she had no evidence except that they had managed to convince him to travel across Clan borders; and, in its own way, wasn't that just implicating herself? At the end of the day, Ravenwind could say she watched Leafleg fly away and they'd be more likely to believe her over some young scrap of fur that didn't even have her name yet.

Ravenwind was trusted. Ravenwind was respected. No one would ever guess she'd done something so terrible. Brightpaw hoped that she was just overthinking things, and that her mentor  _wouldn't_  do something like murder just because she didn't like a warrior.  _But why can't I_  believe  _that?_

"You look wonderful," Hawkpaw purred as he approached, bumping foreheads with her. Clutched between his teeth was a daisy; for Flowerpaw, he'd said. It made her heart ache just to think about it. "Maybe you could join us on our vigil later? The company would be nice."

"We'll see," she said, nosing the underside of his chin.

It wasn't just Brightpaw gussying herself up for the ceremony. Rainblaze and Barkfall were practically sparkling as they chatted with Stonebreeze. Honeyflower and Newtfrost were sharing tongues. Slatestep was sharing training tips with Briarspots while they waited. Mossyear and Badgerthroat were ducking their heads in and around Maplepaw, determined to get their wiggly kit as clean as possible. Fallingfeather was meowing something quietly to Graypaw, who nodded along, smiling. At his paws sat a crow feather. The black molly let out an emotional sigh and nuzzled her son.

"You're going up with Graypaw, aren't you?" Skyberry asked Addershine. "I mean, you did more than- well, you know."

Addershine ducked his chin with embarrassment. "Yes, ma'am. I just hope Flamepaw won't be too hurt that I went up without him."

"Soon," she promised. "Soon."

Ravenwind didn't leave her den until Alderstar called for them to gather. Brightpaw hesitated to join her, then realized that would only make her look suspicious.  _If she_ did _kill Leafleg, I don't want her to know I know, do I?_  She plopped down beside the black she-cat, flicking an ear as a greeting.

Alderstar hopped up to his usual place, looking almost naked without Duskspring. The tom hovered behind Hawkpaw, looking rather haggard from his Greencough. "It's with a heavy heart I look down today, seeing two where there should be three. But Flowerpaw resides in the stars now, and I don't doubt that she will celebrate this day with us in spirit."

Graypaw took a bold step forward, setting the crow's feather at the bottom of the Clanrock. Hawkpaw was close behind with the flower, placing it with such tenderness one could've mistaken it for a kit.

"I know it's not traditional," Hawkpaw meowed. "But we've picked our names."

Alderstar studied the items. "One after your mother, and the other after your sister?" he mused. The dark tabby slowly nodded. "I would be honored to give you such names. Addershine, is Graypaw ready to be a warrior?"

Addershine nodded. "He'll make a great addition to ShadowClan, Alderstar."

"Duskspring, is Hawkpaw ready?"

"No thanks to me," the gray tom grumbled ruefully. "He'll be honored for many moons to come."

"Don't sell yourself short, old friend," he chided. "I, Alderstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you in turn. Hawkpaw, Graypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Hawkpaw meowed.

Graypaw cast a pointed glance at the nursery, then nodded. A surprised rumble swept through the Clan.

"You wish to be a nursery warrior?" Alderstar asked. Graypaw puffed out his chest. "A great choice for a great warrior. Graypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Grayfeather. StarClan honors your kindness and generosity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Brightpaw felt her breath catch as Grayfeather stepped up to accept his name. Hawkpaw twitched with anxious jitters as Alderstar turned to him.

"Hawkpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Hawkflower. StarClan honors your courage and even-tempered nature, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

 _Courage_ , Brightpaw mused as she watched Hawkflower and Grayfeather exchange proud little looks. The word reminded her of the situation at paw- or, more accurately, her lack of action on the issue. If it was true- if Ravenwind  _had_  committed murder- it was her duty to ShadowClan to make sure it didn't happen again. She tilted her head back and yowled their new names along with the rest of the Clan.

Stonebreeze cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose it's my turn," he grumbled, nudging Honeyflower pointedly. The yellow tabby stubbornly shook her head. "Some friend you are. Letting me stand in front alone like this."

"Of course," Alderstar meowed, raising his voice once again. "Stonebreeze, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?"

"It is." He shook out a back paw. "Joints are hurtin' like nobody's business these days."

"Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest."

"Stonebreeze, you ball of coot feathers!" Flowerstrike cried, overjoyed. "You shoulda told us! We would've gotten a nest around!"

The gray and white spotted tom just shook his head, padding over to bump noses with the older elder. "I can still make my own nest," he grumbled.

"But why would you  _want_  to?" Skyberry teased, whiskers twitching. "There's still plenty of 'paws to order about."

"Congratulations!" Maplepaw meowed to the two new warriors, and it was then that the Clan began to split back into groups, swapping between cats to congratulate. Hawkflower craned his head up to see if Brightpaw would be coming soon, but Brightpaw didn't notice. Her eyes were far away.

* * *

If there was one blessing in all of StarClan, it was that Ravenwind was a restless sleeper, twitching and snoring. Brightpaw knew almost immediately when her mentor had drifted off. She stood, stretched, and casually made her way over to the stores.  _I have to be authentic. If anyone wakes up, I'll just tell them I thought I heard Duskspring coughing._

Brightpaw carefully bent down and pulled away the moss that covered the red pearls. They smelled very different from the other herb smells in the den- sharp, but not in a clean, comforting way. Something almost unnatural seemed to infect the air around them. She carefully rolled one out of its hole, squatting awkwardly to get a better look. Even in the dark, she could see the seed set in the middle of the berry, which was a bright red tinge.

Juniper berries were blue. Purple-blue, almost. Certainly not red. She only knew of one other major berry that ShadowClan used, and that was deathberries. Brightpaw swallowed at the hole, which was half-full. Way too many for a just in case type scenario.  _Has she done this before?_

She suddenly recalled Puddle, the elder who had died so suddenly despite being healthy, and the connecting event of her forgetting most of that day. Ravenwind had called it a sign. But if she had something like deathberries so close at paw, who was to say she hadn't snuck some into Puddle's food? Into Brightpaw?  _I need to get rid of these. Now._

Brightpaw silently grabbed one of the many beech leaves they kept nearby, hoisting as many berries as she could logically fit onto it. It would take a couple of trips if she wanted to destroy the entire batch. _I could do one haul a night. Ravenwind hasn't touched this hole in moons. She won't notice until it's too late_. She hoped.

The night was clear and calm as she slipped out of the medicine den. Crickets chirped loud and proud; the peaceful symphony of Greenleaf. Hawkflower perked up as she slipped out the entrance, inching over so she could sit, but she shook her head and lifted her maw, showing off the bundle. He nodded and moved back. Brightpaw was almost entirely certain Grayfeather was asleep.  _No wonder he's so excited to see me. He's probably bored out of his fur._

If these were deathberries- and, Brightpaw admitted to herself, that could very well be a  _big_  if- then there was no way she was going to dispose of them by-paw. One wrong lick and she'd be sick for a week. The best way she could think of was to throw them into a stream somewhere and let them be washed far, far away. With that in mind, she pushed further and further into the territory, determined not to risk anyone's health.

It was with a heavy heart that she came across the stream where Flowerpaw had drowned that Leaf-bare. Brightpaw was certain the only one who came by to this spot these days was Fallingfeather; and there was no way she was drinking any of it. She tilted her head back in prayer.  _I'm sorry, Flowerpaw. I hope I'm not desecrating your honor by doing this. But you have to understand; I can't keep such a deadly thing near where my nieces and nephews will play._ Brightpaw lowered the beech leaf into the water, watching as the tiny red bulbs were carried off. When the leaf was empty she let go, watching it slip away with the waves.

A voice, dangerously calm, broke through the night. "Brightpaw."

Brightpaw whirled around, eyes wide. "Ravenwind! I- I thought you were asleep."

Ravenwind practically blended into the darkness as she neared, her amber eyes dark and swirling with rage. "Do you know how long it took me to collect so many of those?" she asked. "A long time, Brightpaw. Red pearls are an essential herb-"

"They're deathberries, aren't they?"

Ravenwind fell silent. Finally; "Yes, they are."

The confirmation made her scruff rise. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Why would I?" She shrugged nonchalantly. "You were just a kitten when you asked me. I wasn't going to tell a kitten that I had a dangerous poison in my stores."

"Why have them? Why so many?"

Ravenwind cocked her head to the side. "Get to the real question here, Brightpaw. I know you didn't drag me out in the middle of such a nice night to debate herb storage."

"Did you kill Leafleg?" Brightpaw meowed. It all came out in a jumbled rush.

"What do you think?" she replied, as if weren't obvious by the deathberries currently floating downstream.

"I think it's more logical than him just disappearing."

"Good point. Alright, I'll take it in order; I keep the deathberries in case a cat is too injured or too ill to make it much longer and they wish to greet their ancestors with as little pain as possible. I keep a lot of them because big battles happen; not yet in your lifetime, true, but they occur. As for Leafleg- you caught me. You got it all figured out." Ravenwind rolled her eyes. "I'm shocked it took you this long, honestly. I picked you for a reason."

Brightpaw's stomach dropped. "What?"

Ravenwind sighed and tromped over to her. There was a certain softness to her face, somehow pitying and warm all at once. "You're a good choice for medicine cat. You follow orders. You care for your Clanmates. You don't trust the other Clans."

"I thought medicine cats weren't supposed to hold grudges," Brightpaw whispered, stiff with horror as it all sunk in. Ravenwind had chosen her to follow in her pawsteps. She didn't want her just to care for her Clanmates- she wanted her to be able to kill for them. Kill  _them_ , if it came to that.

"You fear WindClan for what they've done to your family," she responded, making her flinch. "You can try to hide it all you want, but I know your heart. WindClan ripped Birchpaw from your mother; and it wouldn't surprise me if you blame them for Darkkit."

"Stop," she pleaded. "Just stop."

Ravenwind went on. "If ShadowClan hadn't been at war, Smokestripe wouldn't have felt such stress. If WindClan hadn't killed Birchpaw, Smokestripe wouldn't have had to grieve. Maybe, just maybe, Darkkit would be alive right now." Her ears flattened. "Flowerpaw didn't understand that."

Brightpaw had gone numb from paws to ear tips, a whirlwind of emotions battling in her chest. "You drowned her, didn't you?"

"I told her no, but she didn't listen," she growled, eyes flashing. "Do you think I  _enjoyed_  doing that, Brightpaw? How could I? Flowerpaw had nothing but good to her name- but she insisted, and she started poking around, and I did what I had to do. That's what being a medicine cat is all about- doing what's best." Ravenwind grew silent. Her amber eyes misted over. "My mother once said I was a blessing from StarClan. You remind me of her."

"Your mother?" Brightpaw snapped. "Your  _mother_  was some kittypet named Pearl." Ravenwind stared at her, truly floored. "Flowerpaw showed me at Highstones. I know the sum of your parts, Ravenwind. I know that, no matter how much I look like her, Leopardpoppy is  _dead_."

"Never say her name!" Ravenwind screeched before flinging herself onto her. Brightpaw let out a shocked howl, scrambling for purchase. Ravenwind flipped her with ease, slamming her back into the stream floor. Claws dug into Brightpaw's shoulders as she went below the water.

_She's going to kill me!_

Brightpaw panicked, slamming her back paws into Ravenwind's stomach; she was so terrified she didn't realize that her claws were sheathed, leaving her blows feeble and ineffective. The need for air burned through her chest like fire as she struggled. For all Ravenwind's fronting about being old and weak, there was steel in the medicine cat, fury in her rigidness, and intent in her bared teeth.

 _This is the last thing Flowerpaw saw_ , Brightpaw realized as she began to slip into unconsciousness.  _StarClan, please. I don't want to die like this. What will Smokestripe think?_

Suddenly, Ravenwind backed off. The black she-cat dipped her head below the waves, fixing her teeth into Brightpaw's scruff. She didn't fight it as she was dragged to shore, soaking wet. The medicine cat was breathing even more heavily than she was, minus the water she occasionally coughed up.

"My apologies," she rumbled finally. "Leopardpoppy... my mother did so much for me. Talking about her is a bit of a sensitive spot for me."

 _Sensitive spot?_  Brightpaw sniffled derisively; she didn't have the strength to speak.  _She almost drowned me!_

Ravenwind eventually hauled her to her paws and led her back to camp. Brightpaw tried to shift away, but the medicine cat pulled her back every time. Brightpaw had a lot of things to consider, but she couldn't move past her attempted murder. It clung to her thoughts like cobwebs, refusing to let go even for something as serious as her mentor admitting to multiple prior killings.

Ravenwind's breath brushed her ear. "I know you're angry. I don't blame you. But I just want you to know- regardless of how I may have acted, I'm very proud of you. I'm glad I chose you."

That did the exact opposite of help. Brightpaw opened her mouth to tell her as much when she heard Hawkflower's concerned cry. The new warrior was by her side in a millisecond, sniffing her sopping pelt for injuries. Grayfeather wasn't far behind.

"She fell in," Ravenwind grunted. "I fished her out."

Brightpaw was too exhausted to argue. She buried her nose in Hawkflower's pelt and wished his familiar scent could erase what had just happened. Hawkflower shot Ravenwind a suspicious look, none too pleased with her lack of interest, and gently led her over to their vigil spot. Grayfeather and Hawkflower corralled Brightpaw between them like an errant kit, licking her pelt clean with swift strokes.

Her limbs didn't stop shaking until dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo boy, lots of Shenanigans in this chapter, huh.
> 
> Fun Fact- Hawkflower was originally gonna be named Hawkstripe. But then I realized it'd be pretty cool if both boys got named after family members, so here we are.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	14. Smells Fishy

"Intruders!"

Brightpaw felt her stomach clench at the sudden outcry. She lifted her head from her paws, trying to decide if she should answer or stay hidden, before Maplepaw practically ran her over to get outside.  _I can't let her face the enemy alone_ , she thought, sighing, before slinking out of the den.

Her heart hadn't been into her work since the night of Hawkflower and Grayfeather's vigil. She was listless. Easily confused. Lonely. The knowledge of Ravenwind's betrayal had lodged deeply into Brightpaw's ribs, making it almost impossible to move forward, so she'd instead taken to sleeping in the apprentices' den.  _I can't just accuse her, can I? I need proof. Until I have that, I'm alone._

The medicine cat knew the smell of RiverClan, but she didn't know the brown and white tabby she-cat that pushed into camp, followed close behind by a tiny all-black molly. Lastly came Houndface, looking older and more tired than ever.

The brown and white tabby regarded the closest warrior- Mossyear- with a nod of respect. "I'm here to speak with Alderstar."

"Where's Burnstar?" Newtfrost hissed, eyes slitted with suspicion. "Why should ShadowClan's leader meet with a mere deputy?"

She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I hope to avoid bringing Burnstar into this," she meowed calmly. "If Alderstar won't meet me, why not Duskspring? I didn't come all this way just to go home empty-pawed."

Slatestep took a bold step forward. "How do we know this isn't just one of your tricks, Huskfrost?"

"I brought a medicine cat," Huskfrost replied. "And a young warrior. Not much of a battle patrol, don't you think?" She waved her tail at the black she-cat. "This is Sageleaf, by the way."

Sageleaf, clearly not used to being under a lot of eyes like this, bristled. "You better let her through," she warned.

"Or what?" Rainblaze snapped, claws slithering out. "I could eat a kit like you in two bites."

The RiverClan cat snarled and pounced. Rainblaze, clearly taken off-guard, fell back in an ungainly heap as Sageleaf clawed at her muzzle. ShadowClan warriors swarmed the two in an instant, pulling Sageleaf away with looks of disgust. Rainblaze stiffly sat up, her lip cut open and gushing blood.

"Alright," she meowed, though she didn't look very happy about it. "I suppose I deserved that."

Huskfrost lowered her voice as Sageleaf sulked back to her side. Brightpaw just caught the words. "You act like that again and you'll  _wish_  I'd left you to bury it."

"I don't trust ShadowClan," she grumbled.

"That doesn't matter." Huskfrost lifted her head as Alderstar poked his nose out of the Clanrock. "RiverClan wins with cunning, not brute force."

The old ShadowClan leader stared at the scene a moment, conflicting emotions on his face, before reluctantly jerking his head for her to join him. Huskfrost shoved Sageleaf and flicked her ears for her to follow. They disappeared inside without a word.

"That's it?" Maplepaw complained. "I thought there'd be more action than that."

"If it makes you feel better, it certainly doesn't seem like Huskfrost has any  _good_  news." Barkfall bumped foreheads with the apprentice, then turned to Brightpaw. "I hate to make it sound like I know your job more than you, but maybe you oughta check on Rainblaze? She seemed pretty shaken by Sageleaf going off like that."

"Right, right." She scanned the clearing for her blue pelt, but came up empty. "Where is she?"

"She said something about hunting and stomped off. But she was shaking, y'know? It wasn't like her."

The thought of leaving the camp at a time like this was almost enough for Brightpaw to refuse, but she dipped her head. "Of course. I'll be right back."

"I'll come!" Hawkflower chirped, having come up behind them. Brightpaw jumped. "I need to stretch my legs anyway."

 _He's going to ask about that night_ , a voice in the back of her mind whispered, and Brightpaw couldn't handle that. She couldn't look Hawkflower in the eye and tell him what happened. How could she? Flowerpaw had been his sister. She shook the idea away, sternly padding out of camp.  _I can't tell him. Not until I have proof._

"Hey, Brightpaw?" The gray and black tom had quickly caught up. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she meowed, lying through her teeth. "I'm just worried about Rainblaze."

Hawkflower's tail carefully wound around hers. "You've been on edge lately. Everyone's noticed." He touched the tip of her ear. "I won't press. But if you ever wanna talk to me about it, I'm here. That's what best friends do."

Brightpaw leaned into his side. His familiar scent calmed her nerves. "Thanks."

A low yowl of pain split the duo up before he could respond. They'd not gone very far, but Rainblaze's scent was thick as a cloud with fear and pain. Brightpaw took off as fast as her paws could take her, calling her friend's name. "Over here!" Rainblaze wailed. The molly had taken residence in a natural hollow made by a tall oak tree. The grass was covered with pine needles and pinecones as they approached, smelling of sap and mice.

"Barkfall told me you seemed off," Brightpaw said as she curled her legs under, nosing Rainblaze's shoulder. "Did Sageleaf hurt you somewhere other than your muzzle?"

She frantically shook her head, eyes wide with fear. "My stomach won't stop cramping! I can't tell if I'm kitting or if a badger is clawing into me!"

"Kitting. It's basically the same thing." The light ginger apprentice was all business now. "Hawkflower, get me a stick. She needs something to bite."

"Why now?" Rainblaze moaned as Brightpaw moved her to lay on her side.

"Stress. It can bring about early kitting." She slid her paw across the warrior's stomach. Rainblaze hadn't been a warrior long. She'd never even fought a battle. With her first litter on the way, it was easy to understand how she might have felt invincible, and how hard a small scuffle could've damaged that. "I'd say there's two in here. Ravenwind told me small litters are pretty normal for first time queens. You're still early enough on to get back to camp if you want."

She shook her head. "I started here. I'm finishing it here." Rainblaze tried to sound sure of herself, but Brightpaw could sense stress coming off her in waves. "Can I- can Flamepaw stay with me? He should be here for this."

"Absolutely. Hawkflower, you get that?"

He set a decent-sized stick down at her paws. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be right back."

Barely any time at all had passed when they returned, but to Brightpaw and Rainblaze it felt like hours. Flamepaw burst through the undergrowth with the speed of a LeopardClan warrior, fur bristling. "Did I miss anything? Are they here?"

"Not even close," Brightpaw reassured, moving further down Rainblaze. Flamepaw curled his head into his mate's shoulder.

"I've been thinking," she croaked. "Our kits will be so strong, won't they?"

"The strongest," he promised. "Please, Rainblaze. Please be okay. Don't leave me."

"I won't. I was thinking... we should name them after the original Clans." Her eyes met his. "Lions and tigers and leopards. It's who we are."

Flamepaw licked her ear. "That's perfect."

* * *

"Flamepaw," Brightpaw meowed. "Come over here. It's time."

Her brother was trembling as he came up on Brightpaw's side. Hawkflower had been sent back and forth for supplies; with Huskfrost still in the camp, few warriors felt safe enough to leave, no matter how pressing things were. He was off to get some raspberry leaves now, if Brightpaw's memory served. Things had gone from slow to fast in what felt like moments, blurring together.

Rainblaze gave a mighty push, and a dark brown tabby plopped out. Brightpaw nipped the sack, took a second to check for any glaring health issues, then turned it over to Flamepaw. "Congratulations. You have a daughter."

"A daughter..." he whispered before bending down to clean her fur. "Look, Rainblaze. She's beautiful."

The queen risked a look, half-afraid something might be wrong, but when she saw the kitten her face softened. "She's our tiger, Flamepaw. Our little Tigerkit."

Flamepaw nodded, maneuvering Tigerkit so she was suckling. An abashed chuckle ripped through the tom. "She's got my tree-legs."

"And your brother's pelt."

He shuffled so he could nose the kitten's scruff fur. "Isn't she perfect?"

"Hate to interrupt," Brightpaw meowed. "But the second one's coming."

The last kit was the same golden-yellow that Brightpaw and Flamepaw carried, with Rainblaze's stocky build and ears. They quickly dubbed him Lionkit. Brightpaw breathed a sigh of relief as they watched Lionkit and Tigerkit feed. Pride swelled from her tail to ear-tips as she took them in.  _Nothing bad will ever happen to you. Not while your Aunt Brightpaw is here._ Even if Ravenwind tried to do something about it. She'd throw herself in front of them without a second thought. That would just have to be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of an abrupt ending, but it seemed best to split it up into two chapters. More on RiverClan's wishes next time! Huskfrost is actually an old OC of mine too, though she was originally ThunderClan. She's the sister of both Hollowtail and Burnstar.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	15. Turn the Page

Tigerkit felt fragile in her jaws as Brightpaw carefully carried her niece by the scruff. Hawkflower padded beside her, holding Lionkit. He pointedly nudged her and nodded to Rainblaze and Flamepaw. The duo dragged behind, their tails winding together; Rainblaze looked ready to pass out for a moon.

"Well," Flamepaw meowed. "This'll make for one interesting Gathering story."

Rainblaze snorted. Her eyes were closed. "I imagine so. An origin tale if they become great warriors, too; borne under the trees, amongst the prickly pine needles, with enemy warriors in the territory."

"I'll love them even if they don't."

"I  _know_ , fluff-brain. You don't have to continuously proclaim it. I won't forget."

Flamepaw pouted. "But I wanna."

Rainblaze leaned over to lick the side of his muzzle, purring. "Of all the cats I could spend my seasons with, I'm glad it was you."

Hawkflower nudged her again, rolling his eyes at the mushy display. Brightpaw  _mrrowed_  with amusement, but quickly stopped when Tigerkit wriggled. The heat of the afternoon was beginning to settle into the usual humid evening of Greenleaf. For all the troubles Leaf-bare had caused, Brightpaw couldn't help but be glad she was born in Leaf-fall.  _It's too hot for even kits to want to play._

They came up on the entrance just as Huskfrost and Sageleaf padded out, followed close behind by Houndface, Briarspots, Barkfall, and Newtfrost. Brightpaw assumed the ShadowClan cats were to escort them to the border, and gestured with her tail for the new parents to move out of the way.

Sageleaf's ears flew back, aghast. "You're a  _queen_?" she spluttered, staring at Rainblaze. "I didn't know, I swear! I- I would never attack someone with kits!"

"What's done is done," Huskfrost cut her off. She nodded at the kittens slightly. "Congratulations. May you have many happy seasons."

"Get moving!" Barkfall grumped. "I'd like to meet my new kin before _dawn_ , fish-breath."

Huskfrost lashed her tail but allowed herself and the young warrior to be led away. Brightpaw and Hawkflower pushed their way into the camp without delay. Warriors glanced up as they did so, eyes lighting up at the sight of the kits, but a heavy silence seemed to have overtaken them all, and no one spoke lest they break it.

Grayfeather poked his head out of the nursery and stamped the ground. The nursery warrior had made Rainblaze a nest while they were gone. The new queen sank into it with a grateful sigh, shifting so Tigerkit and Lionkit could press against her stomach.

There was hardly even a rattle of leaves to signal Ravenwind's approach, the medicine cat small enough she could get in without any trouble. Brightpaw bristled and moved to step in front of the new queen, but Ravenwind showed no interest in coming closer. She waved her tail and before Brightpaw knew it Brackenpaw and Berrypaw were cuddled up alongside Flamepaw.

"They're so little!" Berrypaw chirped. "They're gonna get in  _soo_  much trouble when they're old enough to use it to their advantage."

Brackenpaw set his head on his paws, studying them. "That one looks like me!" His head fell to the side. "They're beautiful."

Ravenwind gave another nod out the entrance. Alderstar and Smokestripe tip-toed inside. Their mother looked positively ecstatic as her grandkits fed, bending at an awkward angle to nuzzle Rainblaze supportively. Alderstar just smiled, eyes glowing fondly.

Brightpaw walked over and bumped foreheads with her grandfather, keeping her voice low. "What happened with Huskfrost?"

The smile left as soon as it came. Alderstar sighed. "Burnstar is- well, I wouldn't go so far as to say he's a _bad_  cat, but he's very paranoid. He got his name from the fire his family suffered, you know. They all did- Burnstar, Huskfrost, and Hollowtail. It left bad scars on RiverClan, and it left bad scars on his heart."

"Get to the point," Smokestripe meowed, making Brightpaw jump. Her mother looked away, ashamed of her snappishness. "They found Leafleg in the river."

Brightpaw froze. Her eyes darted to Ravenwind, half-expecting the medicine cat to look scared or angry or suspicious, but she looked bland. Normal.

"The running theory is that he fell into the gorge, which naturally carries through certain rivers," Alderstar went on. "Which, of course, leads to the question; why was he so far from our territory in the first place?"

"Maybe he wanted to run away," Ravenwind meowed quietly. "Leafleg always was one for the dramatics."

Alderstar shook his head briskly; just one jerk side to side. "Whatever the case may be, Burnstar took the idea and ran with it. He thinks we're sending ShadowClan warriors out to spy, and Leafleg was one of them. He's been in a tizzy ever since, trying to find the slightest hint of ShadowClan scent. Huskfrost thought it was only fair we get warning."

"She thinks there'll be battle," Hawkflower prompted.

"Something like that."

"Does  _she_  think we're spying?"

"I don't think it really matters to her," the brown tabby replied. "Huskfrost has always been stuck cleaning up Burnstar's messes. She gave us fair warning, and she has cats who can back that up if accused otherwise. That's enough for her."

Rainblaze was bristling. "If he even  _thinks_  of attacking us, I'll rip his eyes out myself," she snarled. "Flinging accusations at cats who can't defend themselves- how is that any way to respect the dead?"

"Huskfrost promised to bring us Leafleg to bury," Brackenpaw said. "I can only imagine how gross he'll be, though."

" _Enough_ ," Alderstar meowed, and they all fell silent. "Burnstar can sniff all he likes. He won't find a thing." The leader reached out to bump noses with Flamepaw. "Let's keep moving forward. It's time you all were given your final assessments."

"Really?" Berrypaw breathed, green eyes glowing.

"I'll talk to your mentors in the morning." He turned and walked out. "For now, I have a different ceremony to perform."

"Brightpaw," Ravenwind urged, and Brightpaw followed with one last look at her gathered family.

* * *

Most of ShadowClan was already in the clearing, which Brightpaw chalked up to Huskfrost's warning leaving them on edge. Honeyflower and Fallingfeather were pressed close together, taking comfort in each others' long pelts. Newtfrost was chewing on some bones, cleaning them of any leftover scraps. Addershine and Barkfall were chatting, the black and white tom glancing periodically at the nursery. Brightpaw got the feeling he was waiting for Grayfeather to join them; he didn't. Maplepaw was leaning on Mossyear, her mother nuzzling her, while Badgerthroat sprawled out on her side. There was the beginnings of a noticeable bump there. Stonebreeze and Slatestep were close together, chatting.

"ShadowClan," Alderstar proclaimed. "Today has been stressful. And if one thing has become clear to us, it's that we will need strong leadership in the moons to come. I begged Duskspring to stay my deputy, but he has refused."

"I'm too sick," Duskspring explained, tail twitching. "I can't quite seem to shake this cough."

Brightpaw's jaw dropped. It was true that the tom had been ill for ages now, but the mere concept of him retiring had never occurred to her.  _He's been deputy since before I was born!_

Alderstar bowed his head. "Duskspring, you're my closest friend. I had hoped to spend many more seasons as leader and deputy. But I would never be so selfish as to force you to continue your duties. Is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?"

"It is, Alderstar."

"Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest." He raised his muzzle to call the tom's name. "Duskspring! Duskspring! Duskspring!"

"Duskspring! Duskspring!" Brightpaw echoed, feeling more lost than ever.  _Everything's changing. Flamepaw's a father, and soon he won't even be a 'paw at all, and now a different cat is going to be deputy. With how old Alderstar is, they might even be leader one day._

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice," Alderstar rumbled. "The new deputy of ShadowClan is Slatestep."

Slatestep jumped to her paws. "Sir?"

He laughed at the bewilderment in her gaze as he hopped down. "Slatestep, you are a kind, sensible warrior. Your levelheadedness is a gift. I know you have suffered horribly with the loss of your last apprentice, but your Clan needs you." He stopped so they were face-to-face, expectant but not demanding. "Will you accept?"

The molly's gaze swept over the camp, searching for objections. No one spoke for or against the idea. "If you think I can follow up someone as respected as Duskspring, sir, then I'm honored. I'll be your deputy."

"Thank you." Alderstar turned back to the others. "Slatestep! Slatestep! Slatestep!"

Brightpaw padded alongside Ravenwind as they dispersed. "I'd like to move back into your den, if that's allowed."

Ravenwind glanced at her. "I never kicked you out."

"I kicked myself out. I want to know it's okay to come back."

"I apologized for that."

"Yes, ma'am." Brightpaw ignored the urge to tell her that saying sorry didn't make almost drowning her any better. "I need you to promise me something. Promise me that Tigerkit and Lionkit are safe."

Ravenwind paused at the opening to the medicine den. "Why wouldn't they be?" she asked, sounding legitimately puzzled.

"They're half-rogue. You killed Puddle, didn't you?"

The black she-cat neither confirmed nor denied that. "Puddle was a great addition to ShadowClan, and so are Rainblaze and Barkfall. No Clan is entirely an island, you know. We need the odd bit of rogue or kittypet blood to mix it up. So long as Tigerkit and Lionkit are loyal warriors, I'll treat them as such."

"Leafleg was a loyal warrior," she bit out.

Ravenwind flicked an ear, as if his name was a flea that had settled there. "Leafleg was a coward. He ran from a fair share of battles." Something sharp and unpleasant shimmered in her eyes. "You'll just have to make sure they aren't more of the same, won't you?"

"I suppose I will," Brightpaw agreed without any vigor.  _Flowerpaw was loyal too, but you killed her without a second thought. Where's the line drawn, Ravenwind? How does it all add up to you?_ _And how can I make sure my family won't be next on the list?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyy, some more Brightpaw content! I got into a kitty mood and got all this out in one day.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	16. Strength in Numbers

"You truly have the worst timing," Ravenwind meowed. "And, honestly, would it have killed you to show a little more? I could understand Mossyear being small, only having one kitten, but two is another matter entirely."

Badgerthroat cracked open her good eye. "Shut up and call my family in, you old bat."

"I can't do both."

"I just gave birth and I feel like monster-food. Make more bad jokes and I will claw your muzzle off."

The black and white molly's snappishness hardly made an impression on Ravenwind. The black she-cat turned and padded out into the clearing without another word, leaving Brightpaw to keep her company for the short amount of time it would take to gather her mate and their apprentice-age kit.

Brightpaw cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, at least we know these two won't be as big as Maplepaw."

Badgerthroat let out a wispy laugh. "Very true." She nosed the silver and white tabby she-kit, which stood out brightly against her black and white mother and all brown sister. "I'm thinking of naming this one Willowkit. The brown one can be Antkit. Willows, ants, and maples. I like that combination."

"Unless they're in your fur, of course."

"I dunno about that. Maple leaves would be sure to spruce my plain pelt a bit."

"I heard something about leaves?" Mossyear thrust her head into the den, eyes glowing. "Ooh, they're just gorgeous. Maplepaw, come meet your sisters."

"I would, if you'd get out of my way," Maplepaw meowed behind her. The unnaturally large apprentice had to crawl inside, shuffling over to meet them. Mossyear pressed close to her older daughter in a comforting manner as she did so. "Wow. Was I that little?"

" _No_ ," said Mossyear firmly, purring. "But you're special."

Brightpaw watched the scene a moment longer before slipping away to give them privacy. She wondered who all had come to meet her when she was born.  _Grandpa, I'm sure, but did anyone else?_  It was just as likely that they did or didn't; ShadowClan had been wrestling with grief for Birchpaw, taken before his time, and could have either crowded or abandoned the area. She hadn't been old enough to remember.

Her eyes wandered over to the prey-pile, stacked high with food. Lionkit and Tigerkit had opened their eyes just a few days ago, revealing the typical green that seemed to carry through their family line, and the tiny kittens scrambled here and there throughout the day. Lionkit sniffed curiously at a squirrel tail, his milky yellow fur coming in thick and bushy, while scrawny and twig-like Tigerkit clambered over the back to the very top, her little chin raised high. The mouse under her paws rolled, sending her on top of her brother with an 'oomph!'

 _There's four kittens in camp now_ , she realized. The thought filled Brightpaw with a foreign kind of dread. Brightpaw could understand Burnstar's suspicions and his need to retaliate. She knew the whys and hows of what was going on between her and Hawkflower, even if she didn't want to admit it to herself- didn't want to be one of those medicine cats they tell stories about, a failure. They all scared her, but they scared everybody.

Brightpaw was the only cat in ShadowClan who knew just how close danger was, however.

No one would suspect tiny, half-kittypet Ravenwind of murdering full-grown warriors like Leafleg. Everyone assumed Flowerpaw was an accident. Puddle had been an omen- one she had been dragged along with- rather than poison. If Ravenwind didn't like something, she took care of it. Permanently. She didn't want that kind of mentality anywhere near the tiny lives she had helped bring into the world.

"Worrying again?"

Brightpaw jumped, bristling, as Smokestripe approached her with a twinkle in her eye. "Sorry, mom. Just... thinking."

"That's all you've done lately." Smokestripe settled in next to her. "I know things are bad right now, but today is a happy day for ShadowClan. A sign that nothing stays- horrible or otherwise."

 _She thinks I'm worried about RiverClan._  Brightpaw swallowed some residual guilt. "Mom, can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

"Hypothetical, eh? Sure."

Brightpaw's tail twitched with anxiety, but she kept her voice mostly steady. "What if you knew something... bad?  _Really_  bad? And it's so bad and scary that you think you have to tell the Clan, but you're not sure they'd believe you?"

Smokestripe blinked at her, taken aback. "Dear, are you okay?"

"It's hypothetical, mom."

"Right, right. Hypothetical." She let it slide, but Brightpaw could see the concern in her eyes as she tilted her head slightly. "Well, if it were me, and I had to find a way to prove something to the Clan, I'd get other cats on my side first. I mean, 'safety in numbers' is a saying for a reason. One cat could be a trick of the light, but a group of cats hold more weight."

Brightpaw opened her mouth, but a flicker caught her eye. Ravenwind was watching them across the way, eyes burning. She lowered her head and nodded. "Thanks, mom. I'll... I'll try to perk up a bit."

Smokestripe leaned in to lick her forehead. "Don't be afraid to come to me if you have any problems, Brightpaw. I can handle it."

 _No, you can't_ , she thought hopelessly.  _No one can_.

* * *

The camp was empty when Brightpaw came to- and so was the prey-pile. Her stomach gurgled with acid and nerves as she looked around, hoping to find someone who'd tell her what chore she should do today, but no one in particular stood out.  _Guess I'm hunting._

She managed to find herself a finch, settling in to eat where it was caught. The warmth of Greenleaf was slowly transforming into Leaf-fall; some of the leaves were tinged orange or red, and the fireflies had started to dwindle at night. She imagined things with RiverClan and ShadowClan would only escalate once Leaf-bare hit- with the rivers frozen, RiverClan starved almost as harshly as WindClan, and they were bound to be more testy than ever. It didn't help that WindClan was one drifted scent away from attacking.  _ShadowClan really does stand on its own, doesn't it?_

Voices in the distance made her ears prick. Brightpaw slunk through the underbrush, tail tip flicking back and forth, until she came across the training hollow. Brackenpaw and Flamepaw were cleaning each others' ears while Berrypaw talked cheerfully with Briarspots, their pelts brushing. Addershine politely tilted his head, and Fallingfeather took her cue to step up and explain the rules of the hunting portion.

 _Their final assessment!_  Excitement burned through Brightpaw.  _I can't believe I almost forgot!_

"I'm sure you'll do fine," the black molly finished. "You're all good cats, worthy of carrying a warrior name."

Briarspots chuckled. "That's fancy talk for 'we're proud of you'."

 _Could I tell one of them?_  The idea hit Brightpaw like a monster. All this time, she'd been worried about upsetting Hawkflower or Grayfeather with the truth about their sister, or scaring young Maplepaw with the information that the cat she went to for thorns and other things had blood on her paws, but she'd never put a lot of thought into telling her siblings before.  _But who? Flamepaw needs to focus on his assessment, for his kits' sake. Brackenpaw would need proof to believe me, and I don't have a lot of that._ Her eyes fixed on Berrypaw. Berrypaw would listen, wouldn't she? She always had before.

Brightpaw watched with new resolve as her littermates vanished into the terrain. The mentors followed suit soonafter. She padded out into the hollow and bent down low, finding the strongest whiff of Berrypaw she could.  _I know where she's going, but she's going to be hidden._

The Burnt Sycamore was in full bloom as she approached, keeping low. Its twisted, gnarled branches held crows and other birds as they rested up from their daily troubles, squawking and screeching to one another for space. A sparrow huffily landed on the ground nearby, pecking at the weeds in search of worms. Brightpaw waited for her sister with baited breath. Berrypaw was a shadow as she approached, her green eyes narrowed with determination. One pounce and it was dead and gone, dragged away before the other birds noticed and reacted.

"Great catch," Brightpaw meowed, deciding to appear out of the grass.

Berrypaw twisted her head around, nodding in recognition. Her eyes glowed as she scraped dirt over the kill. "Thanks! Did you come to wish me luck?"

 _I'm ruining her assessment_. Brightpaw's ears twisted back with shame, wondering if she should save it for another day. _Would I ever be brave enough to bring it up again?_

The indecision must've shown on her face. Berrypaw bumped their noses together in a friendly manner. "Hey, what's wrong?"

The medicine cat dug her claws into the dirt to stop them from shaking. "I need to tell you something."

"Okay." She nodded, sitting down. "Tell me."

 _This is way too easy._  "I just don't think you'll believe me, you know? It's pretty far-fetched."

"I think I'll be the judge of that."

"But what if-"

"Brightpaw," she chided. "Just tell me."

The simplicity of her words took the wind out of Brightpaw, who slumped to the dusty ground. "I think Ravenwind killed Leafleg."

There was a long pause. "Come again?"

Brightpaw lifted her chin so Berrypaw couldn't doubt her hearing. "Ravenwind killed Leafleg."

Berrypaw stared her down, looking for all the world as if Brightpaw had spoken in fox. Brightpaw tried to quell her own shakiness, but it was almost impossible. She was between a rock and a hard place- her mentor, and the horrible things she had done, and her sister, and whether or not she believed her.

Finally, she spoke. "Why do you think that?"

She told her about that day at the gorge, starting with her agreement to sneak into WindClan for herbs in order to keep Rainblaze and her kits healthy, continuing onto them recruiting Leafleg, and ending on their argument and how Ravenwind was alone when she turned around. "The gorge went into that river," she explained. "That's why Burnstar found him there."

Berrypaw was bristling now, eyes flashing. "What kind of badger-hearted monster would-"

"I don't think Leafleg was the first," she interrupted, but didn't clarify. One murder was hard enough to process- she wasn't going to sling two others at her rapid-fire. "And he won't be the last. Not unless we do something."

"Do what, exactly?"

Brightpaw flinched so harshly her whole body ached. Ravenwind padded out of the bushes with a blank look to her muzzle. Her eyes narrowed at how Berrypaw moved to shield her. "I'm sorry about this, Berrypaw. I really shouldn't have tried to sweep this under the den."

"What?" she asked rhetorically. "Murder?"

Ravenwind's eyes stretched wide. "Stars, no! I would never." She stepped closer, stopping when Berrypaw growled. "You see, there's a certain herb I keep in my den that can, in large amounts, cause hallucinations. Brightpaw fell onto my stock a few nights ago. I was so scared Alderstar would blame me, so I tried to hide it." She bowed her head. "And now Brightpaw's spinning spiderwebs. I'm sorry about the scare."

Berrypaw glared at Ravenwind a second, then glanced at Brightpaw. "Is this true?"

"No!" She rapidly shook her head, aghast. "I don't even know any herbs like that!"

"Brightpaw," Ravenwind chided, then sighed. "Listen, child. I have no beef with you. So let's pretend today never happened, shall we?"

The black molly watched Brightpaw's reaction. The way her muscles tensed; the fear in her eyes, which begged for her to agree, to run as far and fast away as she could, and then looked to the skyline. "Where's my mentor?" she asked. "He should be watching over us."

"I told him I'd do it," she meowed. "I noticed Brightpaw acting oddly yesterday, so when he mentioned her scent on the breeze I offered to come."

 _She heard me talking to mom!_  Brightpaw's heart was going so fast it felt like she would keel over at any second.

"I gotta say, Ravenwind, this whole thing is pretty shady." Berrypaw nudged Brightpaw to make her move, but she felt frozen. "I don't know for sure which one of you is right, but I  _do_  know that this is serious. Alderstar needs to know about this."

"You don't wanna do that."

"Actually, I kind of do."

She sighed and shook her head. "Your loss." Ravenwind bunched up her muscles and charged. Brightpaw and Berrypaw whirled around and took off, but Brightpaw only managed to get a few steps before Ravenwind sank her teeth deeply into her hip. Her legs buckled under her. Berrypaw skittered around and unsheathed her claws.

"Oh, Brightpaw," she meowed, pressing a paw to her throat. "Why did you have to make this harder than it has to be?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look, a cliffhanger.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	17. Fair Trade

Brightpaw whimpered as Ravenwind's claws carded through her fur, inching ever-so-close to her throat.  _She's going to kill me, and then she's going to kill Berrypaw. I've doomed both of us._

Berrypaw's fur had risen at the distressed noise her sister made, head lowering threateningly. "Let her go."

"Now, why would I do that?" Ravenwind asked. "I don't have a death wish. I don't think you do, either."

"I swear on the stars," Berrypaw snarled. "If you lay a claw on her, I'll rip you to shreds."

"Will you?"

"I will. I'll go for the eyes first. Then, when you can't see, I'll let you stumble into this and that. It'll hurt so bad you'll wish you'd never been born. Maybe then I'll finish the job."

"Nice strategy. I'll keep that idea on paw for another time." Ravenwind shifted slightly, settling on Brightpaw's chest so she couldn't use the distraction to flee. The apprentice felt like she was drowning all over again, gasping for air, but instead of water all she felt was the soft pricking of her mentor's claws. "You seem like a smart, capable cat, Berrypaw. A bit flighty, but smart. There's no reason why this has to end in bloodshed, is there?"

Berrypaw stared her down. Her green eyes hesitantly fluttered to Brightpaw's terrified features, then back up, resolute. "What do you suggest?"

"A test of loyalty. I want proof that you won't try this again." Ravenwind flicked her tail towards the bushes. "There's a bundle of leaves in there. Bring it to me."

"Don't!" Brightpaw squeaked, flinching when Ravenwind dug in.

"It's not deathberries," she quickly reassured Berrypaw. "I mean, there  _are_  deathberries inside, but you don't have to bring me those. I want the seeds."

She was almost afraid to ask. "Foxglove?"

"No, poppy."

Berrypaw didn't move. "How do I know you won't hurt Brightpaw the moment I turn my back?"

Ravenwind regarded her with something like appreciation. "Maybe you're not as much of a fluff-brain as I thought. Do you know how much of a struggle it was, finding a replacement I was satisfied with? I don't intend to let her go unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Follow-up. How do I know you won't hurt  _me_  when I turn  _my_  back?"

"I don't have any reason to. I have a simple but effective plan that'll keep all of us alive and well." She lashed her tail. "You're going to help me fix the problem between RiverClan and ShadowClan. That done, we can all go back to our lives."

"Are you... asking me to start a battle?"

"It's not a question, Berrypaw. I'm telling you. But, no. It won't be a battle. No one wants that- no one except Burnstar. Kill him, and all will be well. Brightpaw will be alive, you'll be alive, and we'll all have too much dirt on each other to go scuttling off to Alderstar. Sound like a deal?"

Brightpaw's heart turned to ice.  _She wants Berrypaw to kill Burnstar? But..._  She tilted her head back. The black 'paw's fur was still frizzled with horror, claws still unsheathed, but there was no hesitation in her eyes.

"You're asking for a miracle," she meowed finally.

"Are you getting me that bundle or not?"

Berrypaw flinched. She cautiously padded around the twisted up duo, steadfastly ignoring Ravenwind's piercing gaze. Plunging her muzzle into the bushes, she pulled out what had to be the neatest wrap Brightpaw had ever laid eyes on. If she wasn't in very real danger, she might have appreciated it more.

Ravenwind nodded her satisfaction. "Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to feed Brightpaw some poppy seeds. They'll knock her out cold. We'll plan more afterwards. But know this; if you disobey me, if you run away, if you tell _anyone_ , your sister will die."

Brightpaw thrashed, terrified, but the medicine cat didn't even look at her. Berrypaw- and her reaction to her terms- was the only important thing in Ravenwind's mind.

"Is knocking her out really necessary?"

"I'm not giving you a say here. The nitty-gritty is between us."

Berrypaw looked more than ready to refuse. The fight slowly left her between heaved breaths. She slumped, small and vulnerable and scared, and reluctantly kicked the parcel over. "I'm sorry, Brightpaw. I'll get us out of this, okay?"

Ravenwind shoved the seeds into her jowl, firmly planting her paws onto her muzzle so Brightpaw couldn't spit them out. The medicine cat apprentice thrashed as her mouth filled with the same earthy flavor she had tasted as a kit, recalling with a sudden clarity the sickening way Puddle had fallen apart in front of her. Dirt was getting caught in her nails, ripped and bleeding, but she couldn't get away. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and all went dark.

* * *

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet me at the Clanrock for a Clan meeting!"

Alderstar's voice startled Brightpaw awake. She lifted her head from her nest with a great yawn, smacking her lips. The yellow 'paw stretched, surprised when her hip gave a jolt of protest. She turned and found her right side covered in cobwebs, neatly placed and cared for.

Memories hit Brightpaw like the claws of a badger. She struggled to get to her paws, but found the muscles on her leg too weak to hold her weight properly just yet. Ravenwind had hit a nerve, that was for sure.

"Enough!" A gentle paw touched her back. Cold water rushed over her spine. "You're only going to make it worse."

"Ravenwind?"

The black she-cat didn't react to her perplexed meow, studying her hip with her usual intense look. "You should be okay for the ceremony, but you should lean on me."

"Did that... was it..."

"Not now," she said, and Brightpaw was too scared to reply. She numbly allowed Ravenwind to maneuver against her side. They walked out into the gathered cats without a word; she was shocked and thankful beyond words to see Berrypaw sitting in front of Briarspots. She twisted her head around, caught her eye, and nodded once. It hadn't been a dream.

"Hey, grandpa?" Brackenpaw called out above the noise. "I know it's not my place and all, but what d'ya say about giving Flamepaw his name first? He's earned it."

Flamepaw's head jerked up from his shoulders. "You mean it?"

"Do it, papa!" Tigerkit squeaked behind Rainblaze's paws. Lionkit shushed her.

"Addershine," Alderstar prompted, grinning from ear to ear. "Is Flamepaw ready to be a warrior?"

Addershine proudly lifted his chin. "He passed every test, sir."

"Fallingfeather?"

"I'm proud of Brackenpaw," she meowed. "He'll be a great asset to ShadowClan."

"Briarspots?"

"It was an honor to have Berrypaw as my first apprentice, sir," he answered. Berrypaw seemed to realize eyes were on her, then, straightening appropriately. Brightpaw could only imagine what was going on in her head. "She's ready."

"Very good. I won't bore you all with long speeches today; I'm too excited." Alderstar looked ready to bounce out of his fur. "Flamepaw, Brackenpaw, Berrypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Flamepaw glanced over his shoulder, smiling at his mate and kits. "I do."

"Of course I do," Brackenpaw meowed. "Where else would I want to be?"

Berrypaw didn't reply immediately. Briarspots stretched forward to nudge her gently. "O-oh. Right. Sorry. I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Flamepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Flametuft. StarClan honors your kindness and compassion, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Flametuft got to his paws with a little hop, bumping noses with Alderstar. He went and sat with Rainblaze, sharing a quick nuzzle with the blue molly.

"Brackenpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Brackenclaw. StarClan honors your law-abiding nature and levelheadedness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Brackenclaw went to their grandfather with a stiff posture, not wanting to seem silly, then went and sat firmly down by Fallingfeather.

"Berrypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Berryshade. StarClan honors your optimism and passion, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Berryshade padded to Alderstar with no real relish- Brightpaw felt guilt tangle with her insides once again.  _I really did ruin her warrior ceremony. And now Ravenwind's going to ruin her life._

_She must hate me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit anticlimactic, but considering I didn't even originally intend for Berryshade to get a warrior name I'd say we're doing pretty good. No worries, though- I've actually been reworking her plotline a lot, so it won't be what it originally was lol.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	18. Fresh Drink of Water

Ravenwind was quick to request Brightpaw be bound to camp while her hip healed. Brightpaw tried to argue, but Alderstar wouldn't hear of it, fussing over her like a kit in the nursery.

"Nothing is too good for my medicine cats," he proclaimed, nosing Brightpaw's ear. "Just try to avoid any sharp branches from here on out, alright?"

Brightpaw expected quarantine to be terrifying, filled with ominous threats and further incidents, but Ravenwind hardly seemed to notice she existed. She spent most of her time outside camp, doing stars-knew-what. She was left high and dry and bored out of her mind, trapped in the web of her Clanmates' concern.

If there was one good thing about the whole scenario, it was that Brightpaw had plenty of time to spend with her young kin. She was bound to her nest, true, but Lionkit would undergo the arduous challenge of dragging the biggest piece of fresh-kill across the clearing to give to her. He would then settle in and tell her about his day. Tigerkit would join them, but spend the time poking and prodding Lionkit, who laughed and poked and prodded back.

Being stuck in ShadowClan also gifted Brightpaw with a new perspective. She was always hanging around the apprentices or  _away_  from Ravenwind, and it was a bit surprising all that she'd missed because of that. Grayfeather and Barkfall, for example, would spend a huge chunk of time sharing tongues every morning. They would trade a loving nuzzle, then split apart for their routines- Barkfall on patrol, Grayfeather watching over Lionkit and Tigerkit for Flametuft and Rainblaze. Brightpaw hadn't even known they were courting, let alone mates.

Maplepaw did her best to spend time with her younger littermates, usually bringing a trinket of some kind to show off. Between the two of them, Brightpaw was sure Antkit was closest to the 'paw. The brown molly was quickly growing into a polite, rule-abiding cat. The same could not be said of Willowkit, who was bristly and rebellious. It didn't help that- unlike Lionkit and Tigerkit, who got along in spite of their differences- Antkit and Willowkit were constantly arguing.

Hardest of all was the newfound loneliness of being the only 'paw in her litter. Ravenwind's distant nature had given Brightpaw a closeness with the warrior apprentices a medicine cat might not normally have. She slept with them, hunted with them, and even trained with them. But there's too much for warriors to do; Flametuft had a litter to care for, Brackenclaw seemed determined to get in the senior warriors' good books, and Berryshade was very rarely in camp, and even less willing to talk to Brightpaw after that disaster of an assessment. Maplepaw was nice, but it wasn't the same.

 _This must be part of growing into a medicine cat,_  she thought glumly, setting her head on her paws. Brightpaw was really starting to reconsider her decision, though she knew it was impossible to turn back now. Even if Ravenwind wasn't clearly keen on keeping her around, it didn't feel right to leave the position open for some unsuspecting kit to leap into.  _The stars chose me. I guess that will just have to be enough._

"Psst!" Someone whispered, and Brightpaw opened her eyes in time to see Hawkflower poke his head into the den, whiskers twitching mischievously. "You wanna get out for a bit?"

"Do I!" she whispered back. "But Ravenwind-"

"Can take it up with Alderstar if she's so worried. Even he thinks it's time you got some air." The black and gray tom approached, nudging her gently. "Lean on me, okay? We can go for a walk to the stream- you're probably sick of drinking from wet moss, amiright?"

Brightpaw gleefully got to her paws, ignoring the twinge in her hip as she leaned on Hawkflower's side. She tucked her muzzle under his chin and purred gratefully. "You have no idea."

Tails intertwined, the two ShadowClan cats eased their way into the clearing. The meager Leaf-fall sunlight felt like heaven on Brightpaw's pelt, which was beginning to lighten even more from being in the den all the time. She shivered and bushed out her fur, too stubborn to turn back now. Hawkflower seemed to notice, pressing closer to her. He felt warm and comforting.

Almost instantly the moment was broken as Willowkit slammed into Brightpaw, buckling her legs. Hawkflower yelped and grabbed her scruff so she didn't squish the kitten, who quickly scrambled back, eyes wide.

"I'm so sorry!" Willowkit squeaked. Her fur was wild and sticking up at random places, reminding her a bit of a thorn bush.

"I'm fine," Brightpaw grunted, struggling to get her feet back under her. She straightened and inhaled sharply as her hip complained even more. "Just watch where you're going next time, okay?"

She nodded, opening her jaws to apologize again, but was cut off by Antkit racing up to them. "Willowkit! You have to be more careful; Brightpaw's hurt!"

Willowkit's pelt fluffed out even more, this time with irritation. "Well, then maybe she shouldn't have been in the way!" she snarled, surprising the medicine cat.  _She was nice a second ago!_

Antkit stomped a brown paw. "Say you're sorry!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" she meowed, dodging around her littermate with a scowl. Antkit followed close behind, demanding she wait up.

"What was that?" Brightpaw asked, head tilted to the side.

Hawkflower shrugged. "I don't know them as well as Grayfeather does, but I think Willowkit gets jealous easy."

"Jealous?"

"Well, yeah. Thank about it; most everybody seems to prefer Antkit. And then there's her pelt- Maplepaw and Antkit are both darker colored, whereas she's so bright. Hunting at night is going to be a problem for her."

"Oh," she said, feeling a bit frog-brained. Sure enough, a quick look at the two sisters drew her eye to Willowkit's thick fur, but that wasn't always a good thing. Not in ShadowClan, where cats prided themselves on their abilities to melt into the dark. "I never thought about it before."

Hawkflower gave her a gentle nudge. "Let's get you that drink."

* * *

A shudder went up Brightpaw's spine at the first cold rush of water hit her jowls. She quickly settled in closer, delighted beyond words to get something to drink that didn't taste of dirt and moss. Hawkflower sat next to her but didn't join in, instead reaching down to clean the spot between her shoulders she couldn't get on her own.

"Thanks," she said, feeling some water drip from her chin.

Hawkflower looked embarrassed. "Sorry. I should've asked first."

"You should've, but it was nice."

The warrior studied her reaction a moment, ears pinned back, before finally blurting out, "Brightpaw, I need to talk to you."

Brightpaw felt her heart give a solid jerk to the left. "O-oh?" She cleared her throat. "We do?"

Hawkflower nodded. "I think I have a problem."'

"A problem?"

"Maplepaw is padding after me."

Brightpaw sat up slowly, trying to decipher why her guts twisted painfully instead of her hip. "What's wrong with that? She's not being pushy, is she?"

The tabby shook his head. "No, nothing like that. She just keeps giving me these looks. I just- I dunno what to say to her."

"Well," she meowed, trying to keep her voice neutral, "do you like her back?"

Hawkflower's eyes felt like fire on her fur. "Of course not, Brightpaw," he meowed. "I mean, she's nice! I'm honored Maplepaw is my Clanmate. But between the age difference, and her still being a 'paw, I just can't imagine-"

"I'm a 'paw myself, you know."

"True, but you're not even a moon younger than me. And we're not, you know. We're not mates."

"Of course not."

"I mean, if you-"

"Hawkflower, I'm a medicine cat. You know that."

He flinched at her tone. "I know. I'm sorry." Hawkflower hesitantly placed his paw over hers. "You don't seem very happy, though. I know I'm just a warrior, but if there's anything I can do to help you feel better..."

 _You could reset time_ , she thought, but didn't say. Brightpaw brushed their noses together. "That means a lot to me," she promised. "I just get stuck in my head sometimes, I think. It's hard to live in Ravenwind's shadow."

"You're a great medicine cat," Hawkflower reassured her.

"I guess."

"You could be a great warrior, too. If that's what you decide."

Brightpaw felt herself smile, but it didn't reach beyond the surface.  _Maybe I could've been. Maybe I decided too young. But Ravenwind won't let me go now. I know too much._  "You mean a lot to me, Hawkflower. Had things been different... I would've said yes."

Hawkflower trailed a loving lick across her cheek. It felt like goodbye. "I love you too."

They lapsed into silence as they went back to the camp, separating at the entrance of the medicine den. Ravenwind had returned while they were gone, a clump of ferns in her jaws, but she said nothing as Brightpaw slid back into her nest.

"He's a good tom," she commented finally, spitting the last fronds out.

Brightpaw's eyes slid shut. "Shut up. There's nothing going on."

"I never said there was, did I? Calm down, fussy-fuzz. It's normal for cats your age to get crushes."

"Since when do you care about my development?"

Ravenwind scowled. "I don't mind you doing normal things. Just don't get in over your head."

"Or what?"

"I think you know."

Brightpaw rolled over onto her bad side, hating the molly's gaze more than she did pain. "Whatever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of an inbetween chapter, developing stuff between Hawkflower and Brightpaw, but it's also examining the new litter!
> 
> -Mandaree1


	19. All Around Me Are Familiar Faces

Brightpaw shivered, shaking some snow off her pelt. The trip to the Moonstone had been particularly grueling this moon, thanks to the heavy shower of the cold substance the night before. The fur along her hip had yet to grow back from her run-in with Ravenwind's teeth, stinging with each flake that brushed the bright pink scar.

To her surprise, it wasn't just Bristlepelt who appeared over the ridge, followed close behind by Sparrowpaw. The tom's eyes lit up when he saw her. "Brightpaw! It's been moons!"

"Too long," she agreed, bumping foreheads with him in a friendly manner. "I thought you'd gone off to be a warrior?"

"I did!" Muscles rippled under his ginger pelt as proof of this. "Turns out I wasn't really made for it. It's hard to hurt cats when you know all the effort that goes into keeping them healthy." His whiskers twitched. "I'm Sparrowfang now, actually. You?"

"Still Brightpaw," she replied. Despite the gap between their Clans, Brightpaw was proud to see Sparrowfang had found his name and place. She was also glad she got to see him again on a bi-monthly basis.

"Keep up, you two," Ravenwind called over her shoulder. The medicine cat had been in a surprisingly chipper mood since the snow began to fall, showing none of her usual passive-aggressiveness towards Bristlepelt; who never seemed to mind her attitude, keeping pace beside her without hesitation. Brightpaw got the feeling that the elderly WindClan tom saw themselves as old friends. She felt bad for him. Bristlepelt was too nice for the kind of company he kept.

Sparrowfang waited until the two older cats got caught up talking before speaking again. "Things in ShadowClan okay?"

"Could be better," she admitted. "We've already lost Duskspring and Honeyflower to Greencough, and Flowerstrike is coughing." Brightpaw glanced at Ravenwind, frowning. The black molly had had very little reaction to her half-sister's illness. She had even resisted sitting vigil over her body. It wasn't poisoning, something Brightpaw found herself checking for often in their patients- guilt didn't drive Ravenwind away from Honeyflower. Something more complicated did. "But, on the bright side, Maplenose got her name a few days ago. How's it in WindClan?"

Sparrowfang shrugged. "We've had some coughing, but nothing that bad. Sunbird and Sunnyfoot got together, but I think they're gonna wait to have kits until Greenleaf. If they're smart, anyway."

"My brother has kits now."

"I heard! Congratulations."

They came upon Houndface next, the RiverClan medicine cat all alone by some trees. The elderly she-cat apologized profusely for her apprentice not having coming, citing a new litter with some displeasure. It was clear that she wasn't very fond of the idea that Hollowtail may find an apprentice of his own, and ergo require her to retire. She trailed behind them in a huff, not up for company.

Lastly was Creamstep and Brownshade. Brightpaw regarded the lithe brown tom with no small amount of surprise. While it was true that Ravenwind only journeyed past the border once in a blue moon, sending Brightpaw in her place, Creamstep had always been the only ThunderClan cat to join them, even before receiving her full name. The molly took her place beside her with a polite greeting, congratulating Sparrowfang along the way.

* * *

It wasn't very often that Brightpaw had the pleasure of meeting other StarClan cats. She'd wondered, more than once, if they had begun to ignore her, disgusted for her sitting idly knowing all the while that Ravenwind was a killer. A dark hope had begun to emerge when Ravenwind grew skinnier and skinnier as the prey grew thin, but she soon realized that no illness plagued her; she was simply giving her fresh-kill to Berryshade, keeping her fed and healthy as she plotted her move against RiverClan. All Brightpaw could do is wait for her chance.

Tonight, however, proved to be different. Almost immediately after touching noses to the Moonstone, Brightpaw found herself in the warm fields of StarClan. And then there were claws in her back.

Brightpaw crumpled to the ground with a whimper. She waited for the grip on her to loosen before doing a tight roll, slamming her back paws into the gut of her attacker. Horror welled up inside her as she pressed her front paws to their chest, fighting to keep teeth away from her throat.

"Leafleg?" she meowed.

"You little traitor!" Leafleg spat, eyes blazing. "How could you let her do that to me? How could you let her get away with it?"

"I didn't know!" Brightpaw cried, dragging her claws down in hopes the pain would make him let go. It didn't.

"I was going to  _be_  somebody!" Teeth sank into her scruff, dangerously close to the jugular. "You ruined me! You ruined ShadowClan! How can you bear the name of your Clan, knowing what you've done?"

"Enough, Leafleg," a new voice said. Brightpaw couldn't make out who it was, smothered by the dead warrior's weight.

Leafleg reared up, hissing over his shoulder. "Oh, stuff it, old lady! You don't control me!"

Brightpaw took her chance. She kicked out, unbalancing Leafleg, then slipped out and slashed him across the muzzle. He stumbled back with a snarl. Brightpaw crouched to pounce, ready to return to the favor, when an eerily familiar pelt slipped in front of her.

"You've won, Brightpaw," Leopardpoppy meowed. "Back down."

 _Ravenwind's mother_ , she realized, immediately flattening herself to the ground. She didn't want to cross the molly who raised someone so vicious- it was impossible to know what she was or wasn't capable of. Leopardpoppy regarded her with the same blankness Ravenwind did, but there was no strange gleam in her eyes, and that was where their outward similarities ended.

"You have questions," the dead warrior observed. "Well, that's too bad. I don't have any answers."

Leafleg took a threatening step closer. "She's mine, Leopardpoppy. If you want to fight, you should call up that vile creature you call a daughter."

"I have one daughter, and her name is Honeyflower," she meowed. "Leave us be, Leafleg, or you'll suffer a far worse fate than what you already have."

He hesitated, contemplating arguing further, before finally whirling around with a scoff. "Fine. Whatever. There's plenty of time."

Leopardpoppy waited until he vanished to turn back to Brightpaw. "You'll have to forgive him. No one likes to be cut down in the prime of their life. Still, that doesn't make him any less of a frog-brain for taking it out on a kit." There was something brisk about her tone, as if she was impatiently heralding a change of weather. Leopardpoppy flicked her tail for her to follow. "Walk with me."

It wasn't a question.

They found their way into a scattering of trees. Dappled sunlight shone through the leaves, a stark contrast to the dingy gray of Leaf-bare. Here, the smells were all mixed together; there was no distinct markings of any Clan in particular. Brightpaw knew that StarClan cats lived without boundary, but it still was odd to encounter after a lifetime of borders and suspicion. Leopardpoppy scraped a makeshift seat out of some fallen leaves and sat down with a sigh.

"Look," she started. "I'm not going to sit here and justify or deny anything. Ravenwind's actions are her own, and she must face the consequences of them. All I did was raise her."

"Right," Brightpaw meowed, surprising herself with how testy it came out. "Raise her. That's all."

Leopardpoppy was unfazed. "Like I said; I'm not going to justify myself to you or anyone else."

"You killed her father. Right in front of her."

"Nightclaw was a coward and a scoundrel, and now he's dead and pampered in StarClan like the rest of us. You'll have to forgive me if I don't pity him." She shrugged. "But I digress. I called you here because ShadowClan needs a medicine cat. It hasn't had a proper one since even before Ravenwind. In the end, you're more warrior than medicine cat yourself."

"Thanks."

"It's a compliment. But the fact remains that we can't move on from all this until ShadowClan has proper medicine cat guidance." Leopardpoppy bowed her head. "And I'm asking you to stay on and train that cat when they come."

Brightpaw blinked at her. "How is that any different from what I was already going to do?"

"Because I wouldn't blame you for wanting to leave the position. I would've, had I been you." Leopardpoppy reached out to touch her forehead with her nose. "I'm begging you, don't let her ruin this Clan."

The medicine cat apprentice shuffled back, struck by the situation at hand. Leopardpoppy was clearly a very proud cat- perhaps even a little vain- and lowering herself to this level for a 'paw must be a harsh blow to her ego.

"Okay," she said. "I won't let her."

A quiet sigh of relief drifted through her ears as Leopardpoppy straightened. "Thank you." She stood up fully, tail billowing out behind her. "Ravenwind would never give you a name, since that would mean admitting she's getting too frail to fend for herself. But ShadowClan needs more than apprentices. Brightpaw, from this day forward you'll be known as Brightfur. StarClan honors your strength and kindness, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat. Remember that we're always with you."

_My... name?_

"Brightfur! Brightfur!" Thousands of voices chanted. Brightfur thought she could hear Darkkit and Flowerpaw among them somewhere.

The medicine cat slowly dipped her head. "Thank you, Leopardpoppy. I'll treasure this day."

"No, you won't," she murmured. "And if you hate me, I wouldn't blame you."

* * *

She stirred into the dark emptiness of Mothermouth. Brightfur yawned, stretched, and slowly lifted her head. The Moonstone was dimming with the moon, drenching the cave in a milky light that was almost unpleasant.

She wondered, rather belatedly, if other cats had her problems. Maybe they could gather and talk about them. That might be nice.

"Brightpaw!" Sparrowfang whispered. "You awake?"

"It's Brightfur now, actually," she said, quoting him.

"Did _StarClan_  give you a name?"

"Sort of, yeah."

"That's so awesome!"

Brightfur shrugged, trying not to think too hard on the whole ordeal and what could come of it. Leopardpoppy hadn't exactly been comforting. "I guess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyy, she finally got her name! I mean, it was already in the summary, so no surprise or anything, but still. It's good. Fun Fact: Sparrowfang was one of the first OC names I ever came up with, in a story I never finished or published. I figured why not have a callback lol.
> 
> Stuff be going down soon, ya'll. We can't keep the peace forever.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	20. A Sick Mercy

Maplenose was favoring a leg as she padded into camp, something Brightfur noticed from the safety of the medicine den. Safety, of course, was a relative term; in Leaf-bare very little was safe, from the fresh-kill to the weather. ShadowClan had been given a recent reminder of that in the face of Mossyear's death. The rest of the patrol had favored little better; Grayfeather's ear was torn, Addershine's side held deep tooth marks, and Brackenclaw had been slashed across the muzzle.

Slatestep was waiting for them by the edge of the Clanrock. Brightfur didn't think the molly could be much skinnier and still be able to stand and pad over to them. "RiverClan?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Addershine flopped into the snowbank to clean his wound. "Briarspots went back around to see if any of the game survived."

"You'd think they'd have better things to do," Brackenclaw said. "Coming all the way into our territory just to taunt us? Seems pretty childish to me."

"It's a show of force," the deputy corrected. "Let's just hope Burnstar gets that flea out of his ear soon. We're too weak for a fight."

Maplenose dropped the rabbit from her jaws. The fresh-kill was in tatters, having lost most of its fur and a couple of limbs in the scuffle. "Ma'am, if it's alright, I'd like to take this to Badgerthroat and my sisters."

Slatestep's eyes softened, no doubt remembering the vigil only a few days prior. It hadn't been sickness or battle that had taken Mossyear from them- it had been starvation, the warrior desperate to keep her recently-kitted mate and little ones alive over taking care of herself. "Of course."

Brightfur's eyes trailed after Maplenose as she shuffled off to the nursery with her meal. The tortoiseshell still towered over everyone else, but grief made her seem smaller and more secluded. She yearned to join her, but refrained, partially to give her space and partially out of her own guilt.

"I hate you," she said aloud for the first time, having felt it for much longer.

Ravenwind was at the herbs, scooping out the old and shriveled. Brightfur noticed she had a special leaf bundle ready for the deathberries. "You wouldn't be the first," she replied. "You're not still mad about Mossyear, are you? You know as well as I do that she was half dead by the time she came to us."

"The foxglove didn't exactly help."

"As medicine cats, our duty is to make sure our Clanmates don't suffer. If this is really the twig that broke the branch, than I question your sense of morals." Ravenwind paused. "You've gotten so big, you could probably overpower me. But you still sit by and let me do as I please."

Brightfur thought of her sharp claws and sharper words and shuddered. Her every attempt to stop her had failed. She tried to argue, and she was almost drowned. She tried to tell someone, and now her sister was under the same threatening shadow as her. What else was left? "What other choice do I have?"

The older medicine cat looked at her over her shoulder, ears pinned slightly back thoughtfully. "I think I went about this all wrong."

"Killing cats?"

"No, training you. I wanted you to grow into your role of your own volition. I gave you plenty of space and minimal duties, hoping you'd find your niche with time. But all I've done is drive you away from destiny." Ravenwind waved her paw at her. "Come over here. I want to show you something."

Brightfur tensed. "Are you going to kill me?"

"Do you have any idea how hard it would be to get away with killing a perfectly healthy young thing like you?" She snorted. "Stop being so paranoid and get over here."

She spared one last glance at Maplenose- Badgerthroat was diligently cleaning her wounds, no doubt terrified about losing her oldest daughter too- before joining her by the herbs. Ravenwind wrapped her tail around Brightfur's hindquarters, making her feel vaguely ill.

"A smooth Clan is a surviving Clan," she started. Brightfur watched without speaking as she sliced some moss off her nest. "But not every cat fits into a smooth Clan. Sometimes cats are too arrogant and plunge their Clanmates into danger. Sometimes cats are too soft to follow the code. Sometimes cats get too old. Our job, as medicine cats, is to the survival of ShadowClan. If something threatens that, we have to take care of it."

Brightfur stared at her mentor. "Are you... justifying yourself to me?"

"I'm  _explaining_ ," Ravenwind snapped, glaring at her for speaking in the middle of her lecture. "You didn't think I do what I do willy-nilly, did you? I'm not a  _fluff-brain_ , Brightfur. Do you really think ShadowClan would be better if we had Leafleg as deputy instead of Slatestep? Would you rather I just grab someone at the border?"

"But you've killed more than Leafleg," she pointed out, emboldened by Ravenwind's decree of no intent to harm. "You killed Flowerpaw, and all she wanted was to be a medicine cat. Puddle was blind, and an elder- what harm could she have been to the Clan?"

"Puddle was deathly ill- I've seen the symptoms before. There was nothing anyone could do, medicine cat or vet."

Brightfur paused. Puddle had been complaining of stomach pains, but she doubted Ravenwind's claims nonetheless. She didn't put it past her to try and lie herself out of guilt- and she had all but ignored her mention of Flowerpaw. "What's a vet?"

"A Twoleg medicine cat," Ravenwind meowed, frowning. "I went to one, once. They have a bunch of cold rocks and bad-tasting pebbles in their dens, and they wear pelts of white."

"Oh." Brightfur scuffled her paw against the frozen floor. "I forget, sometimes. That you lived with kittypets."

"It wasn't for long."

"Did you have a kittypet name?"

"Unfortunately, yes. It was Rikki."

She tilted her head to the side. "What's a Rikki?"

Ravenwind sighed and shook her head. "A silly Twoleg story about a mongoose. We were all named after it- my sister and brother and I."

"You've... never talked about this with me before," Brightfur ventured.

"I never saw the point. But you're a sensible grownup now, and I suppose it's only fair." Ravenwind rolled some of the old deathberries into the moss, taking great care to avoid leaving any noticeable seeds or goop. "I wish I could show you with fresh-kill, but there's not enough to spare."

"You're telling me about your past life as a kittypet while simultaneously showing me how you kill warriors." Brightfur swallowed. "Holy frog-guts, I just realized this is my life."

Ravenwind batted her across the ear. For her, it was shockingly gentle. "Hush. You need to know this."

 _Why? It's not like I'll ever use it_ , Brightfur thought, but knew she had pushed her luck enough. She stared, unblinking, at the moss dripping with poisons.

* * *

The den got stuffy around Sunhigh, driving Brightfur out into the clearing. The snow had been padded down from patrols, making it almost icy under her paws. The pile was empty, leaving Brightfur hungry but not surprised as she sprawled out onto her side. The weak sunlight felt good on her fur.

She must've fallen into a doze, because she jumped when a paw jabbed her side. Berryshade hovered above her, shiny and plump, a bird clamped in her teeth. "Want some?"

Brightfur's heart fluttered. Berryshade hadn't so much as looked at her since her ceremony. "Yes, please. I'm starving."

"Aren't we-" Berryshade began to say, then paused and laid down without finishing. Her belly hung out to the side slightly. "How's it going?"

"Alright," she meowed mildly, taking a bite. It was weird to be asked instead of doing the asking. "I'm sorry I got you into this, Berryshade."

Berryshade shrugged awkwardly. "Better me than anyone else."

Brightfur stared at her sister, ashamed. Berryshade had been full of energy and life, once. Now she just seemed sad. "What've you been doing lately? You're never in camp anymore."

She flicked her ears around nervously. She lowered her voice. "I've been hanging out with some rogues."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. There's a whole bunch of them that hang out in the Carrionplace. They've been helping me toughen up."

Brightfur's eyes darted to her stomach. "Is one of them...?"

Berryshade's chin sunk into her shoulders, flustered. "Do I show that much?"

"No, no," she reassured her. "I'm just trained to look for these things. Believe it or not, there's been cases of apprentices and young warriors who were too embarrassed to talk to their medicine cat until they kitted. It's always best to keep an open line of communication for kitting."

The black she-cat leaned heavily on her side. Brightfur could feel how tense she truly was under her thick coat. "There's... this tom. His name is Smithy. He's not really Clan material, but he's charming, you know? He's wild and free, but he doesn't follow anyone or anything but himself." A grim chuckle echoed in her throat. "If he knew, he'd probably tell me to stop coming by. As long as you don't tell him, Smithy ignores it."

Brightfur's tail lashed. "Sounds like a real charmer."

"I was desperate, okay? I didn't want to think, and he never does."

"If you're worried about warriors asking questions, I'm sure we could ask someone to step up as a surrogate. Hawkflower, maybe, or Briarspots."

She shook her head. "I don't give a rat's tail about that. Brightfur, I... he looks just like Willowkit." Her breathing hitched. "And I never really thought about it, but then the other day this kittypet called me  _one_  of Smithy's Clan friends and I just... I dunno. I dunno what to do with that."

"Let him rot, then!"

"I'm not worried about  _him_ , Brightfur!" Berryshade snapped, pressing her muzzle close to her face. She spoke between gritted teeth. "Smithy was just a waste of time. But Badgerthroat and Willowkit and Antkit- they've been through enough. They don't need a scandal on top of it! I can't... I can't keep stalling, Brightfur. Something has to change."

A lump stuck in Brightfur's throat. "Berryshade, listen. Maybe I can talk to Ravenwind about this. She was in a good mood last night. I could-"

"Do what, Brightfur? Ravenwind does't know what no means. Everybody knows that." She shook her head. "Please. Just.  _Stay away from camp tomorrow_. Just in case something goes wrong."

Her ears fell. "I won't do that to you."

"I wish you would."

"I wish I did a lot of things. That doesn't make them happen." Brightfur gently nudged the bird back to her. "Eat. A queen needs her strength."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiz be going down! Brightfur is a bit more snappish than usual, but when you're starving in the middle of winter and your Clanmates are getting harassed a lot you tend to be that way lol.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	21. IT'S TOO LATE TO 'POLOGIZE

"I don't see why not," Brightfur meowed, running her paw down Antkit's spine to check for any developmental concerns. The kitten was one of the few well-fed and healthy cats in the Clan right now. "The age difference between this litter and my brother's is certainly small enough to justify it."

"So we can do it?" Willowkit burst in eagerly, bouncing on her paws. "We can be apprentices too?"

Brightfur looked at Slatestep. The deputy hesitated, then gave a minute nod. "That's up to Badgerthroat."

Antkit slipped out from her, squirming into the black and white molly's arms. "Can we, mama? Can we?"

Badgerthroat looked stricken as she studied her kits. "Why not wait that little bit? Won't it feel more special to have your own ceremony?"

"But Lionkit and Tigerkit get to be apprentices  _now_ ," Willowkit whined. "We'll never hear the end of it if we don't too!"

The queen sighed. "What do you think, Slatestep?"

"I think ShadowClan would be honored to take them on, but it's your choice. You've just lost Mossyear- no one will think less of you for wanting to keep Antkit and Willowkit close."

Mossyear's name made Badgerthroat flinch. Her claws dug into the moss as she weighed her options.

Antkit cocked her head to the side. "Mama?"

"They'll be safer knowing how to defend themselves," she meowed gruffly. "You have my permission."

Slatestep dipped her head. "You should get ready, you two. Won't be long now."

"We get to be apprentices!" Willowkit yelled, sprinting out of the den, Antkit close behind. It was rare to see the sisters so excited for the same thing.

The deputy padded forward to touch noses with Badgerthroat. "I won't let harm come their way. I'll die first."

Her good eye met Slatestep's. "Don't make me regret this."

"I won't." Slatestep pulled away. "I miss her too, you know."

"I know. But she was my mate, not my sister. It's a different kind of grief."

Brightfur stood and left the nursery, recognizing the need for space. The sun was a bright yellow disk in the sky, which was devoid of clouds. There no warmth from it, but the snowbanks glittered like the Moonstone in its light. It never ceased to amaze Brightfur that even the scariest time of the season could look so beautiful.

Smokestripe and Briarspots were padding into camp, the former carrying a scrawny bird for the pile. Fallingfeather, the newest elder, was sprawling out beside Flowerstrike, Stonebreeze pleading with them to get moving to grab a spot. Skyberry had passed away less than a moon prior, leaving the trio lacking. Addershine and Hawkflower were sharing tongues near the Clanrock. Newtfrost chewed on a bone on his lonesome, looking like he'd slept terribly. Maplenose and Barkfall were chatting pleasantly. Grayfeather pulled Badgerthroat's nest out of the nursery, only for the molly to stop him with a shake of the head. It looked like she planned on staying.

" _Dad!_ " Tigerkit squeaked, drawing her attention. Flametuft had his daughter in one paw, cleaning her pelt with brisk strokes of the tongue. "Mom, make him stop!"

Rainblaze cracked open an eye from where she lounged nearby. "You'll be thanking him when you stand in front of the Clan."

Brackenclaw gestured for her to come closer with his tail. "Y'mind getting between my shoulders? I wanna look my best."

Brightfur settled in with a purr. "Excited for Lionkit and Tigerkit?"

"You bet!" her brother paused, rocking back and forth, before finally blurting out, "Alderstar's giving me Willowkit!"

The medicine cat startled, bumping foreheads with her brother. "Your first apprentice! I'm so happy for you!"

Brackenclaw blinked at her affectionately. "It feels like I'm an actual warrior, now. I mean, I've had my name for ages, but _real_  warriors train apprentices." He looked over his shoulder. "Speaking of; have you seen Berryshade? I didn't notice her anywhere yesterday."

Brightfur swallowed a ball of guilt and concern, reaching out to lick his cheek. "You know Berryshade likes her space."

"But her scent in the den is faded, and-"

"Brackenclaw," she interrupted, and he fell silent. "You'll be giving Willowkit her tour today, and we can look for her then. This is as much your day as it is hers."

He reluctantly nodded. "You're right."

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet me at the Clanrock for a Clan meeting!"

Brightfur nudged Brackenclaw to his paws. "Knock 'em dead, bro."

Alderstar said very little during the ceremony, but Brightfur got the feeling he was hoping to instill a sense of responsibility into the youngest warriors in the Clan with his choices. Barkfall was given Lionpaw and Maplenose proudly accepted Tigerpaw. Rainblaze's belly still hung low from her kitting as she strode over to Antpaw, eyes glinting proudly. Last was Brackenclaw, his chest puffed up while bumping noses with Willowpaw.  _Maybe we're not as formal as the older bunch, but we're plenty responsible!_  Growing up during the tension with WindClan had made sure of that.

"Mind if I join you?" she meowed, tail whisking across Lionpaw's side. "I want to watch my kin learn their home."

"Absolutely," reassured Barkfall. "So, whattaya say, everyone? All together or split into groups?"

"We split when we had our tour," Rainblaze mused. "It was fun, meeting in the middle and telling each other what we saw."

Willowpaw's fur bushed out with excitement. "Can we take the side with the Carrionplace first?" she asked Brackenclaw. "I hear there's rogues there."

Brightfur blanched. _Did she overhear us?_  Of all the ways to find out about her potential father, that was one the worst. But Willowpaw didn't acknowledge her at all, staring at her mentor with unbridled curiosity.

Brackenclaw laughed. "I don't think even the toughest of rogues could live in that rat-infested place, but I don't see why not. Just keep by me, okay?"

Alderstar padded out of the slowly dispersing crowd, eyes warm. "I'll walk with my great-grandkits to the Thunderpath, if it's all the same to you."

"Honored to have you, sir," Maplenose promised.

* * *

The day proved to still be clear by afternoon. Every breath escaped their muzzles in a puff of steam as they strolled through the pine trees. Lionpaw clung close to Maplenose's side, frightened of disobeying on his first day, while Tigerpaw ran a few pawsteps ahead, jumping and rolling in the snow.

Alderstar trailed at the back. Brightfur kept pace beside the older tom, checking for signs of exhaustion as they walked. It occurred to her that despite being a full medicine cat, she had no idea how many lives he had left.

"Grandpa," she said. "How old are you?"

The dark tabby tom chuckled. "Pretty old, kiddo. Pretty old." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I know what you're thinking. You're right. I've only got one."

Brightpaw leaned on his side, seeking out comfort. "Is that why you were so stubborn about Duskspring being deputy?"

He nodded, eyes misting over. "I never thought I'd outlive him."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Slatestep is a good cat. ShadowClan will be in good paws." Alderstar looked up at Tigerpaw, who had managed to drag Lionpaw in on her fun. "Y'know, the thing they never tell you about getting old is that everyone else does too. The ShadowClan I've led is very different from the ShadowClan I was born into. One day, you'll look out into the clearing and realize the warriors you've known all your life are getting aches and fuzzy eyes. It's a great feeling. Sad, but great."

Brightfur didn't respond. What could she say? It would be seasons yet before she was old enough to know how her grandfather felt. All she knew now was that she couldn't imagine ShadowClan without Alderstar watching over it and keeping them safe.

"Tigerpaw!" Barkfall hissed. "Get over here, now!"

Brightfur startled at the venom in the usual gentle warrior's voice. The group had gone ahead while they spoke. Alderstar ran through the dead bushes after them, fur standing on end. Brightfur was on his heels, praying that she wasn't about to see Tigerpaw squished under the paws of a monster.

They burst in to find Barkfall and Maplenose shielding the two young 'paws, teeth bared and heads lowered. The Thunderpath was deadly silent behind the dark red pelt of Burnstar, flanked by Huskfrost. Between them was Berryshade, a deep clawmark across her eye.

"Oh, quit it," Burnstar growled. "I'm no coward. I'd never hurt an apprentice." He raised his chin as Alderstar approached. "I never took you as the type to send queens to do your dirty work. Perhaps I was wrong."

"For the last time, Burnstar, ShadowClan has no plot to spy on RiverClan."

"Then how do you explain her?" He waved his tail at Berryshade. She stared dejectedly at her paws. "You're lucky Houndface smelled the milk in her before things got worse."

"I don't know what Berryshade was doing over your borders," Alderstar meowed evenly. "But it was not on my orders."

Burnstar snorted derisively. "Sure."

Alderstar shifted his gaze to Huskfrost. "Don't tell me you believe this nonsense?"

The tip of her tail twitched. "I don't know what I believe," she stated. "But Burnstar is leader. He's my  _brother._  I will always back him up."

Berryshade flinched and looked away, claws kneading the frozen ground.

"This will be brought up at the next Gathering," Burnstar warned. "ShadowClan hasn't exactly been making friends lately. I'd watch your backs."

"Is that a threat?" Alderstar asked.

"It's a declaration of war." Burnstar shoved Berryshade. "Get moving, fox-breath."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Tell someone who cares. Sorry catches no prey."

"Leave her alone!" Lionpaw snarled, pushing past Barkfall.

Burnstar turned to him. Lionpaw began to shake, but he didn't back down. "You look a lot alike. Mother and son? Aunt and nephew?" He cocked his head to the side. "Ah, got it in two. I can see it in your eyes. Don't worry, kit. It takes time, but you'll learn to accept that some family members just aren't worth it." His tail brushed Berryshade's cheek. "Isn't that right?"

"That's not why I'm sorry," she said.

"Oh?" Burnstar said.

Berryshade let go of the tension in her limbs, whirling around faster than Brightfur has ever seen someone move. Her black muzzle parted, revealing gleaming white teeth that promptly sunk into Burnstar's throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very serious chapter with serious stuff going on but I'll be damned if I'll miss a chance to meme while I'm at it akddcod,cscs.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	22. Keep Your Word

Burnstar didn't go down easily. He gurgled and thrashed, striking Berryshade across the face, until finally his legs gave out and he slumped to the dirt in front of the Thunderpath.

"Burnstar!" Huskfrost yowled, the deputy shaking herself out of her shock. The brown and white tabby pushed Berryshade away and pressed a shaking paw to the wound. "Burnstar, you have to get up. We have to get you to Houndface."

Brightfur couldn't take her eyes off the blood pooling out of the leader's throat. _Offer to help, frog-brain! You're a medicine cat- it's your job!_ But she couldn't move.

Burnstar weakly shoved her off. He tried to get up but found himself unable. He settled on fixing a green eye on Huskfrost. "Why didn't you stop her?" he rasped.

"I'm sorry," she meowed, burying her muzzle in his bloody scruff. "Just get up."

"I can't."

" _Get up!_ " she insisted. Huskfrost tried to purr. "I'm not gonna drag your lazy rump across the Thunderpath. You gotta do it yourself."

"Huskfrost," he said. "I'm _scared_."

"You're not going to die," she replied, but she was settling into a bread loaf shape, her chin resting on his back. Movement broke Brightfur's trance long enough to see Lionpaw curling his face into Tigerpaw's chest fur.

Burnstar closed his eyes. Huskfrost nuzzled his spine a moment before sitting up.

"He's dead," she whispered. Berryshade, her muzzle covered in blood, lowered her head with shame. The queen was trembling.

Alderstar finally stepped closer. "I'm sorry for your loss. If you'll wait a moment, I'll get a patrol to help you carry him back."

Huskfrost slowly shook her head. "ShadowClan's done more than enough," she decided, fixing a cold eye on the elderly tom. "I'll carry him myself. Once I've got my lives... we'll talk about war and peace then."

"Huskfrost-" he tried.

"My brother is dead, Alderstar," said Huskfrost flatly. "If your granddaughter wasn't carrying kits, she would be too. Don't push it."

Alderstar reluctantly dipped his head. "We'll leave you be. Safe travels, Huskfrost."

"Drop dead, Alderstar," she returned evenly, but Brightfur could only feel sympathy as the RiverClan cat carefully slipped under the corpse of her brother. Burnstar was awkward and heavy on her shoulders as Huskfrost stood. She trotted across the Thunderpath without checking for monsters first, disappearing into the bushes with a flick of her tail.

Lionpaw pulled away from Tigerpaw. He stared at the blood on Berryshade's muzzle with muted horror. "How could you do something so awful?" he asked.

Berryshade turned her head away.

* * *

"This is bad," Slatestep said; which, to Brightfur, felt like the understatement of the season. "I think we all can agree that Huskfrost is a threat."

Alderstar sighed and shook his head. "I'm not sure. Sometimes, grief can dull even the sharpest claws. I would know."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then I don't doubt that she'll want to even the odds."

Brightfur watched with bated breath as the clearing broke into anxious mutters. Keeping focus on her Clanmates was the only thing stopping her from wiping the smug look off Ravenwind's face. Berryshade, thankfully cleaned of any blood, sat in front of ShadowClan with a grimace. It was almost a parody of a warrior ceremony.

Rainblaze stood. "Should we attack first?"

"Absolutely not," Alderstar started to say, but was cut off by Badgerthroat.

"We'd follow you anywhere, sir," she meowed, lifting her chin to show off her missing eye as proof. "You know that. Don't hold back on our account."

"I refuse to attack a Clan that just lost their leader!" Alderstar roared, shocking them into silence. The dark tabby tom's fur was sticking up in various directions, reminiscent of a pinecone. "We are a Clan of dignity, not a bunch of rogues!"

A dark shape slunk out of the throng of cats, padding over to Berryshade. "What do you suggest we do, then?" Smokestripe asked, tail wrapping protectively around the queen's hindquarters. "We can't do _nothing_."

Berryshade leaned heavily on Smokestripe's side. "Mom..."

"Alderstar, if I may?"

The Clan turned their eyes on Ravenwind. Alderstar blinked at the medicine cat curiously. "Go on."

"Thank you." She dipped her head respectfully. "If you ask me, I think we're being a bit too hasty. After all, Huskfrost has proven to be very compliant. She came to warn us of Burnstar in the first place, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"ShadowClan as a whole is not at risk. Not if we act accordingly." Ravenwind gestured to Berryshade with her tail. "The warrior code has a very strict rule against killing in cold blood. We'll only be safe if there's no murderers among us."

Brightfur's eyes turned into slits as she lurched to her paws. "You rotten, dung-eating-"

"Enough," Slatestep commanded, blocking her from advancing, claws out, to deliver more than sharp words to her mentor. "Ravenwind, what kind of Clan would we be if we threw pregnant warriors to the whims of Leaf-bare?"

"A Clan that lived to see Newleaf." Ravenwind scanned the crowd. Cats looked away when her eyes met theirs. "Face it. We're all half-starved. We've got four untrained apprentices that would be at risk in a full-scale battle-"

"I'd fight!" Willowpaw called out, indignant, only to be shushed by Brackenclaw.

Brightfur looked desperately up at her grandfather, only to find him watching the medicine cat, ears flat. _He's not actually considering it, is he?_

Smokestripe seemed to notice as well. She bunched up her muscles and leapt onto the Clanrock, ignoring the surprised gasps from her Clanmates as she met him head-on. "Alderstar, when I told you I was pregnant you promised me you'd care for me and my kits. How can I follow you if you can't keep your word?"

Alderstar turned away.

"I'll go."

Smokestripe whirled around, almost slipping off in her haste. "Berryshade, no-"

"It's fine, mom." Berryshade's voice was quiet but firm. "I... haven't felt like I belonged here in a long time." She looked pointedly at Ravenwind. The molly returned her look without remorse. "I have a place I can go, so I'll be safe. You don't have to worry about me."

Smokestripe's ears fell. "Alderstar, you can't- I can't lose another baby. I _can't_." She pressed her nose to his cheek. "Please, don't make her leave."

Alderstar met her gaze evenly now, though he looked far from proud. All he looked was old, and sad. "I'm sorry, Smokestripe." He raised his voice. "Berryshade, it's too late now. Spend the night with your kin, then leave before the sun rises. StarClan will keep you safe."

"You've made the right decision, Alderstar," Ravenwind purred, and it was then that Brightfur realized what she must do.

 _StarClan, give me the patience to play her game_ , she prayed, forcing her claws back into her paws. _I'm going to need it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today, on Red Pearls: Alderstar succumbs to peer pressure.
> 
> -Mandaree1

**Author's Note:**

> Heeey, new Warriors story! This one is much looser than Resilience for me- there's no set time frame, I mean, so I don't need to worry about the timeline as much.
> 
> I really like the name Alder. It's just a nice name.
> 
> -Mandaree1


End file.
